January 26 of this year started off as a normal day for many of us. It was just another Sunday to relax before the start of another work week, or so we thought.
What happened that morning sent a shock throughout the sports world. For weeks LA was never the same as you could feel the city mourning the loss of the legendary Kobe Bryant. He meant so much to the game, to fans, to everyone.
Although we have memories of his achievements and unique personality, fans now have the chance to have more than that.
On the fourth anniversary of Kobe’s last game and in honor of his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Goldin Auctions has put together an online auction of the legend’s memorabilia. The auction has been planned for months and was supposed to be released at the same time as the revealing of the 2020 NBA Hall of Fame class, which they figured Kobe would be at.
This @Lakers home jersey was worn and signed by #KobeBryant during his 1996-97 @NBA rookie season. Comes with a LOA from DC Sports & Sports Investors Authentication for the game use & a @JSALOA for the signature.https://t.co/R4qV5EplQP pic.twitter.com/c5rz13GzaW
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) April 25, 2020
The auction includes 86 items and will last until May 16. Its a dream come true for fans as they can bid on championship gold rings, autographed basketballs, game-worn and signed jerseys, as well as a 2012 Olympics gold medal. The biggest items seen by many fans are the thirteen game-worn and autographed basketball sneakers. Kobe’s black Adidas shoes which he wore in the game five win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA finals have already seen the bid climb to $28,000. So far that’s the highest bid item in the auction.
While fans can potentially win a bid for a memorable piece of Kobe, they will also be helping out a charity that will help make an impact in sports and help carry on Kobe’s legacy. Five percent of the auction sales will go to Vanessa Bryant’s Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation that she created after the unfortunate passing of Kobe and Gigi.
The auction is a bittersweet moment for Kobe fans. However, it shows the impact that he had on the sport as well as the city of LA.
