(New York) Kobe Bryant’s personal locker, which he used in the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room before his tragic death in 2020, was sold at auction for $2.9 million (CAD $4 million) by Sotheby’s on Friday.
The sale lasted ten days and the lot was exhibited at the New York headquarters of Sotheby’s, owned by the Franco-Israeli and Moroccan billionaire Patrick Drahi.
At the end of the auction, the price jumped by $750,000 (CAD$1 million) to reach $2.9 million, while the locker had been valued between $1 million and $1.5 million (CAD$1.4 million and $2 million) by Sotheby’s.
“This amount is a testament not only to Kobe’s enduring legacy, but also to the exceptional nature of this piece of sports equipment,” said Brahm Wachter of the auction house in a statement.
This wooden piece of furniture, on which appears a small plaque bearing the inscription “Bryant” in capital letters, has witnessed emblematic moments of the player’s career, such as his record of 81 points during a game in 2006, or the celebration of the 2010 NBA title, which saw the champagne flow freely in the locker room.
Following his death at age 41 in a helicopter crash in California in January 2020, Bryant’s sports legacy has soared on the auction market, with one of the Lakers icon’s jerseys fetching $5.8 million (CAD$8 million) in 2023.
According to Sotheby’s, photographic documents attest to the authenticity of the piece of furniture for the seasons 2003-2004 to 2015-2016, the year of its retirement.
The piece of furniture was found in 2018 during renovation work at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, then purchased by an “American collector”, according to Sotheby’s.
Sporting goods are a booming sector for fine art auction houses.
In May 2022, Sotheby’s sold for $9.3 million (CAD $12.9 million) a Diego Maradona jersey worn during the legendary 1986 World Cup quarter-final, when the Argentinian crucified England with two goals, including one with his hand.
It is to date the most expensive football jersey ever sold at auction.