The locker used by Kobe Bryant for most of his career with the Lakers has been auctioned off and the value of this historic piece ranges between $1 and $1.5 million.
Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, is known to have used the Staples Center locker room from the 2003-04 season through the 2015-16 season, his final year in the NBA.
And now, Sotheby’s is auctioning the item after it was acquired by an anonymous American collector in a private transaction.
The item had been in storage for “years,” the company said, after being discovered while the Staples Center was being renovated in 2018.
Sotheby’s says the locker, along with the rest of what was left in the locker room, would have been thrown away if not for a “vigilant” maintenance worker.
Kobe Bryant’s old Lakers locker room is now up for auction and is estimated to fetch more than $1 million
Bryant used the locker from the 2003-04 season through the 2015-16 season, his last in the NBA.
“Kobe Bryant’s locker at Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it is a sacred relic of his incomparable journey,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s director of modern collectibles, said in a press release.
‘This locker room was Kobe’s sanctuary between triumphs and challenges, witness to the ups and downs of a historic career. Every achievement and every adversity left its mark within these walls. Its appearance now at auction symbolizes a unique opportunity to own a unique piece of Kobe’s legacy.’
The locker is made of wood and has Bryant’s last name in the upper right corner.
Of course, Bryant is considered a Lakers and NBA legend, after a career that included five championships, a ridiculous 15 All-NBA selections and one MVP win.
There were also countless highlight moments he produced at the Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena), including his incredible 81-point game in 2006 and his historic 60-point performance in his final game.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the locker will go to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
The auction for the item is open until July 31. It opened Monday, just under a week after Bryant’s father passed away.
Bryant produced countless highlights at Staples Center, including his 81-point game against the Raptors in 2006.
Joe Bryant died tragically at the age of 69 last week. Joe, a 6-foot-2 forward, enjoyed a long playing career that included stints with the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets.
His death comes four and a half years after his son, then just 41, and granddaughter Gianna, 13, were among those killed in a helicopter crash.
However, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Joe’s relationship with his son Kobe became strained as the Lakers legend built a Hall of Fame NBA career.
He has never spoken publicly about his son’s death and earlier this year, the 2000 NBA title ring Kobe gave to ‘Jellybean’ sold for $927,000 at auction.
The shirt is available in Sotheby’s ALTITUDE Capsule Collection Sale – the tender for which opens today and closes on 2 August.