The late Kobe Bryant didn’t just help lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships during his 20-year career. He also played the game with a legendary toughness and a pathological need to win that inspired many and became iconic.
One of the most iconic moments of his career came out of a catastrophic event. Late in the 2012-13 season, with the Lakers hanging by a thread to their hopes of making the playoffs, Bryant tore his Achilles with 3:08 left in a home contest versus the Golden State Warriors.
He was fouled when the injury occurred, and instead of heading straight to the locker room, he shot both free throws successfully before exiting the court. Those foul shots were the difference in a 118-116 victory.
The jersey the Black Mamba wore during that contest has reportedly sold for over $1 million.
Via Sportico:
“Kobe Bryant’s purple-and-gold Lakers jersey from when he tore his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013, sold Saturday night for $1.2 million at the 2024 Goldin 100 Auction,” wrote Dylan Manfre.
“The winning bid of $1 million was placed on May 7. It was bumped to $1.2 million because of Goldin’s 22% buyer premium. The buyer has not been revealed.”
This wasn’t the most a jersey worn by Bryant during an official NBA game has been auctioned for. The one he donned during Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals went for $1.75 million just weeks ago, and another one sold for substantially more.
“The 2013 jersey sold for $4.6 million less than the most expensive Bryant item, a jersey from his 2007-08 MVP season. It was sold by auction house Sotheby’s for a little over $5.8 million in 2023.”
Bryant withstanding the discomfort of arguably the worst injury a basketball player can suffer was a big reason the Lakers made the playoffs in 2013 despite many other major injuries to their key players. He played very heavy minutes down the stretch of the schedule, which may have played a role in his Achilles tear.