NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant memorabilia has always been in high demand, but unauctioned items have brought record-breaking bids since his death. This weekend, another Bryant item is expected to sell for more than $1 million.
A basketball card signed by Bryant himself will be auctioned off, according to TMZ Sports. The 1997 Skybox Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #81 Bryant card is considered one of the most valuable and rare Bryant cards.
At the live auction, the card is expected to fetch more than $1 million, and SCP Auctions had the item listed on its website ahead of time:
“Over the last two years, the hobby has seen its share of eye-popping card results, especially within the modern market. Still, only a handful can truly be described as ground-breaking and industry-shaking. Here’s one to add to the shortlist: an autographed Kobe Bryant #81 Precious Metal Gems card from the prestigious 1997-1998 Skybox Metal Universe set. How rare is a ’97 PMG Kobe signed by the Black Mamba himself? This is the first and only known example ever offered publicly. It could very well be the only one that exists, making it a true one-of-one grail of the late legend.”
Read more: Kobe Bryant’s Rookie Lakers Jersey Set To Break Auction Record
The auction house confirms that the Bryant card is unique and one of a kind. In February, an unsigned green PMG (graded BGS NM-MT 8.5) Bryant basketball card sold for $2 million.
Bryant spent the majority of his 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA titles, was a two-time finals MVP, and was named the league’s most valuable player in 2008.
Kobe Bryant was part of the All-Star team 18 times and was the youngest player ever to reach 30,000 career points.
Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA in 2016.
On January 26, 2020, the 41-year-old basketball legend died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people.
