Kobe Bryant's momentus Achilles jersey surpasses $1,000,000 mark with weeks left in auction
Fans are reportedly going at it to catch a notable piece of memorabilia from Kobe Bryant's career. His jersey from a 2013 career-threatening game against the Golden State Warriors has been on auction since Apr. 12 and has already surpassed the $1 million mark.
According to collectors site 'onMantel,' the battle for the game-worn jersey from Bryant's Achilles injury game has reached a notable mark at exactly $1.2 million with Buyer's Premium on Goldin.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend left many memories for fans and while some of them were sad, others showed what Kobe was capable of doing to help his team win. This jersey had deep meaning for Bryant and Lakers fans, resulting in a bidding war with 24 days left of the auction.
Back on Apr. 12, 2013, Kobe Bryant played one of the most iconic yet unfortunate games of his career. After posting 32 points, four assists and four rebounds against the up-and-coming Golden State Warriors, he was fouled by Harrison Barnes in a play where he injured his Achilles.
When everybody thought Bryant would leave the game like that, he returned to the court to take two free throws to keep the Lakers alive. While limping to the free-throw line, Kobe was visibly upset, as he knew something was wrong with his body.
That game ended in a 118-116 win for the Lakers, so you can say those two free throws made a difference for the Purple and Gold.
Kobe Bryant's record jersey sale could be broken this year
Kobe Bryant's Achilles jersey could potentially break the $5.8M record for an auctioned jersey, which is what the legend's signed 2007-08 MVP jersey went for.
The piece of memorabilia was worn by the Black Mamba for 25 games of his 2007-08 NBA season, reported CNBC in February 2023. The 2007-08 season was the first MVP season in Bryant's career, which explains why this jersey has so much value for collectors.
Then again, this 2013 jersey could threaten that record in the next 24 days. Kobe Bryant earned a lot of fans during his playing days and some of them are more than willing to spend big money to own something that previously belonged to KB24.