The jersey Kobe Bryant wore during his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 has been sold at auction for $7 million.
The jersey, which was used during his rookie season in 1996-1997, has now become the fourth most expensive game-worn sports jersey ever sold.
The American star spent his entire career with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships and being named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2008.
This jersey was first sold in 2013 for just $115,242, seven years before Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a helicopter crash.
“Debuts are truly once-in-a-lifetime moments in an athlete’s career,” said Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles at the auction house Sotheby’s.
The most expensive game-worn jersey ever remains that of legend Babe Ruth, known as the “called shot” jersey, which sold for $24 million in August.
