This lot closes on May 23rd, 2021 at 10:00 PM EDT for initial bids.

Called “one of the greatest players in the history of our game” by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the late Kobe Bryant left an indelible mark on the NBA that continues to influence and inspire basketball players around the globe. Bryant, the product of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, was a McDonald’s All-American, Gatorade Men’s National Basketball Player of the Year, and the Naismith High School Player of the Year in 1996, the same year he led the Lower Merion Aces to their first State Title. With college recruiters knocking on his door, Bryant would skip college all together and declare his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft, and in the process become the sixth player in NBA history to forgo college and enter the NBA. The Charlotte Hornets, with whom the Los Angeles Lakers were working out a Draft day trade for Vlade Divac so they could make cap room for the acquisition of center Shaquille O’Neal, selected Bryant 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, promptly traded him for Divac that same day. The pairing of Bryant with O’Neal would produce three consecutive NBA titles during the early 2000s, with many skeptics asking if Bryant could win a title without O’Neal under center. Bryant, who enjoyed proving his doubters wrong with his play, would win two more titles with the Lakers.

Considered a complete player, Bryant was named to 9 NBA All-Defensive Teams while also leading the NBA in scoring twice. Chosen to a record 18-straight All-Star Games, his 18 selections are second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19. His 4 All-Star MVP Awards are tied for the most with Bob Pettit, and Bryant was the first player in NBA history to have at least 30,000 points and 6,000 career assists, leading the New York Times to declare Bryant “one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport.” Bryant, a fierce competitor till the end who was also hard on teammates and opponents alike, had a tenacity that drove his play to the next level. Bryant would retire after playing 20 seasons with the Lakers at the end of the 2016 season as the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer with his 5 NBA titles tied for the most in franchise history. Bryant, who tragically passed in 2020, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Presented here is a blue mesh retro Los Angeles Lakers #8 jersey signed by one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, Kobe Bryant. The blue mesh pullover jersey features “LOS ANGELES” in white-on-baby blue across the chest in cursive. White, blue, and baby blue stripes adorn the sleeves and collar. The number “8”, which Bryant wore for the first nine seasons of his career, appears on the chest and back of the jersey in white-on-baby blue tackle twill. A size “XL” flag and a “100% POLYESTER MADE IN PHILLIPPINES” flag are attached to the inside collar of the jersey. “BRYANT” is featured across the back of the jersey in white-on-baby blue tackle twill. Bryant signed the number “8” on the back of the jersey with a black marker. The signature is bold and the jersey is in excellent condition. The blue retro Los Angeles Lakers #8 jersey signed by the late Kobe Bryant comes with a COA from PSA/DNA (B12590) for the signature.

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