(New York) The auction house Sotheby’s sold for $ 5.8 million a jersey of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, the third highest price for a jersey on Thursday. sports after those of Michael Jordan and Diego Maradona.
At 5.8 million dollars, as announced by Sotheby’s after a sale which ended online Thursday in New York, the price exceeds 3.7 million dollars, in 2021, for a jersey of the Los Angeles Lakers star to five NBA titles and two Olympic gold medals.
“This jersey is an icon as we rarely see for sporting goods; it was worn 25 times by Kobe (Bryant) throughout the 2007-2008 season”, where he was named the best player of the regular season, commented Brahm Wachter, who heads the streetwear and modern collectibles department at Sotheby’s.
“The image of Kobe wearing this particular jersey has passed into popular culture, been reprinted on storefronts, books, newspapers and has become a symbol of his unwavering determination and passion that resonates around the world.” , welcomed Mr. Wachter.
This sporting goods market, which now attracts wealthy collectors and investors from around the world, had seen its auction records shattered in 2022.
In May, an Argentina captain Diego Maradona jersey worn in the 1986 FIFA World Cup was purchased for $9.3 million; in September, a jersey of Chicago Bulls No. 23 Michael Jordan, worn during his last NBA title win in 1998, fetched $10.1 million.
Sotheby’s, owned by Franco-Israeli telecom and media magnate Patrick Drahi, also recalls selling a jersey two weeks ago worn by another basketball star, LeBron James, for $ 3.6 million.
Kobe Bryant’s yellow and purple N. 24 jersey was sold by a person wishing to remain anonymous.
It was the tunic donned on April 23, 2008, where the player was immortalized in a photo, celebrating a three-point shot against the Denver Nuggets, holding the jersey and screaming a victory cry.
Its price the last time it was bought at auction, in 2013? $18,678.
The death of Kobe Bryant at age 41, in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020, caused great emotion in the United States and abroad.