Sat Apr 26 22:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Kobe Bryant’s Rookie Season Jersey Smashes Auction Record, Selling for $7 Million

**New York, NY** – A game-worn jersey from Kobe Bryant’s rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers sold for a record-breaking $7 million at Sotheby’s auction on Thursday. The jersey, photo-matched to seven games including Bryant’s preseason and regular season debuts in 1996, surpasses the previous record for a Bryant collectible by over $1 million.

The astronomical price tag eclipses the $5.8 million paid for a jersey from Bryant’s 2007-08 MVP season. This makes it the fourth most expensive game-worn jersey ever sold, trailing only Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey ($24 million), Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” jersey ($10.1 million), and Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey ($9.3 million).

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, highlighted the significance of debut games in an athlete’s career, stating they represent “the nascency of an extraordinary journey.” This sentiment underscores the exceptional value placed on this particular piece of sports history.

Ironically, Bryant’s statistical performance in his regular season debut was modest – 0 points in 6 minutes of play. However, his subsequent rise to superstardom cemented this jersey’s place as a highly sought-after artifact.

Sotheby’s has now brokered the five most expensive NBA jersey sales in history, further solidifying their position as a leading auction house for sports memorabilia. The sale of this rookie jersey marks another significant milestone in the ever-growing market for iconic sports collectibles.

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