A Lakers jersey Kobe Bryant wore in his first NBA All-Star season is being auctioned off, and bidding starts at $20,000
- A Los Angeles auction house is selling off a rare Lakers jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his breakout NBA season with bids starting at $20,000.
- He wore the jersey at some point during the 1998-1999 season, considered by many to be Bryant's breakout season in the NBA.
- It was the year Bryant was first selected for the NBA All-Star team, an honor he would receive 17 more times between 2000 and his retirement in 2016.
- "This is an opportunity for fans to remember their hero by owning memorabilia from his remarkable career," auctioneer Nate Sanders said in a statement, cited by The Hollywood Reporter.
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A Los Angeles auction house is selling off a rare game jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his breakout NBA season, with bids starting at $20,000.
Nate D. Sanders Auctions listed a "Kobe Bryant Game-Worn #8 Lakers Road Jersey From the 1998-99 Season" on its website on Tuesday, with the jersey set to be auctioned off at a sale Thursday. The jersey is described as having "light wear."
Bidding for the jersey starts at $20,000, but as of early Wednesday morning, zero bids had been placed for the item, the auctioneer's website showed.
"People continue to grieve and mourn the loss of the most popular player to wear the Purple and Gold," Nate Sanders, owner of Nate D. Sanders Auctions said in a statement cited by The Hollywood Reporter.
"This is an opportunity for fans to remember their hero by owning memorabilia from his remarkable career."
He wore the jersey at some point during the 1998-1999 season, considered by many to be Bryant's breakout season in the NBA. It was the year Bryant was first selected for the NBA All-Star team, an honor he would receive 17 more times between 2000 and his retirement in 2016.
Bryant scored an average of 19.9 points per game in the season. The next year, the Lakers began a run of three consecutive NBA championship victories.
10% of the profits from the sale will be donated to the After-School All Stars, a not-for-profit Bryant supported during his life, the auctioneer said. The organization was founded by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and helps provide after school education for lower-income children.
The jersey is part of a wider sale of Bryant memorabilia, which includes trading cards signed by Bryant, signed basketballs, and replica jerseys signed by the star.
Bryant's death in January shocked basketball and the wider world. His daughter Gianna, as well as seven others, were killed when a helicopter carrying the group crashed in heavy fog while travelling to Mamba Sports Academy, a facility founded by Bryant.
A star-studded memorial for Bryant and Gianna held Monday at the Staples Center, where the Lakers play home games, was attended by celebrities including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jimmy Kimmel, Usher, and Alicia Keys. NBA greats like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Steph Curry, were also in attendance.