Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
If there’s one player beyond Michael Jordan whose memorabilia always fetches a pretty penny, it’s Kobe Bryant.
This time, it was not a pair of game-worn Nikes or an autographed jersey; it’s something even more interesting: his locker.
Bryant’s locker –which he used from 2003 until his retirement in 2016– from the Staples Center is up for auction.
“Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectables, said in an emailed statement. “This locker was Kobe’s sanctuary amidst triumphs and challenges, a witness to the highs and lows of a storied career. Every achievement and hardship left its mark within these walls. Its appearance now at auction symbolizes a rare opportunity to own a unique piece of Kobe’s legacy.”
Kobe Bryant’s historic Staples Center locker from 2003-2016 is coming to auction for an estimated $1-$1.5M
The locker was discovered during renovations of the Staples Center in 2018 by a vigilant maintenance worker who saved it from disposal
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If you’re wondering how someone got their hands on Bryant’s locker, it’s all because of a maintenance worker at Staples Center. In 2018, the arena was undergoing renovations, and a worker knew the locker would have some value because it belonged to one of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers of all time. It then ended up in the hands of a collector, and now it’s expected to sell for somewhere between $1 million and $1.5 million.
A portion of the proceeds will also be donated to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
While the locker highlights the lot dubbed the Altitude Capsule Collection, there are several other pieces that any diehard sports fan would love to get their hands on.
Other merchandise on the block included the shorts Michael Jordan wore in his last NBA game as a Washington Wizard, his cleats and signed bat from his days in the MLB, a signed Argentina jersey that Diego Maradona wore in the 1986 World Cup Semifinals, and shoes and signed jerseys from Patrick Ewing, Kevin Garnett, Jayson Tatum, and Steph Curry.
Check out the entire Sotheby’s lot here.
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