Kobe Bryant’s locker, which he used for the most of his storied NBA career, sold for $2.9 million on Friday in New York as part of a rare sports memorabilia auction at Sotheby’s.

The Staples Center locker that Bryant utilized while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers cost nearly double the projected $1.5 million.

Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star guard, died in a helicopter crash in 2020, at the age of 41. He spent his whole NBA career with the Lakers, from 1996 to 2016.

According to Sotheby’s, a maintenance worker saved the locker from being trash in 2018 while the Staples Center arena was being renovated. The sculpture was eventually acquired by an American collector.

Today’s price reflects not just Kobe’s enduring reputation, but also the remarkable nature of this one-of-a-kind piece,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, of the sale price reached after 19 bids.

Sotheby’s auction included memorabilia from sporting superstars such as Michael Jordan and Reggie Jackson, as well as pieces from current players such as Rafael Nadal and Stephen Curry.

AFP