Rookie Kobe jersey sells for record $7M
A Kobe Bryant jersey from his 1996-97 rookie season just shattered records with a $7M sale—making it the most expensive Black Mamba collectible ever and a sign that the sports memorabilia market is booming.
A jersey photo-matched to seven games in Kobe Bryant's 1996-97 rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers—including his preseason debut, his regular-season debut, and his NBA media day—sold for $7M at Sotheby's last week
- The price marks a new record for any Black Mamba sports collectible, surpassing the ~$5.8M paid for a game-worn, signed jersey from the 2007-08 season in which Bryant won his lone MVP award.
For context: Kobe’s rookie kit—last sold for ~$115k in 2012—is now the fourth-most-expensive game-worn sports jersey of all time, behind the $24.1M Babe Ruth "called shot" jersey, Michael Jordan's $10.1M Last Dance jersey, and Diego Maradona's $9.3M "Hand of God" Argentina jersey from the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
There’s always money in the sports memorabilia stand
The sports memorabilia market is like a child trying to get some X Games-like air at the playground—on the upswing. Analysts say the industry has emerged in recent years as a blue-chip investment class alongside art, with returns consistently outpacing the S&P 500 and big-ticket items fetching higher-and-higher prices.
Looking ahead…The sports memorabilia market is projected to increase from ~$33.6B in 2024 to $271.2B by 2032, according to research firm Market Decipher—an up-and-to-the-right growth curve that would make even the most cynical Silicon Valley investor salivate.