Julien’s Auctions’ annual sports auction will include a collection of memorabilia related to the late Kobe Bryant. The auction will feature two uniforms, a basketball signed by Bryant and other items. The Los Angeles Lakers star, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
“As one of the millions of fans mourning around the world, we were deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Kobe Bryant’s passing while we were preparing for our annual Sports Legends auction a few weeks ago,” Darren Julien, President/Chief Executive Officer of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement Thursday. “We are honored to include this collection of his items and pay tribute to this giant who was an inspiration not only to basketball fans but to the entire world. We welcome his fans to our free to the public exhibition opening April 27 at our gallery in Beverly Hills which will feature these treasures from his brilliant life and career.”
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The auction kicks off on Thursday, April 30 at 10 a.m. PT, and will go up online. Fans can also see the items for free at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills from Monday, April 27 to Thursday, April 30.
Julien’s Auctions told the Associated Press the Bryant items are being sold by a Kentucky collector.
Scroll on for a look at the Bryant highlights in the auction.
Photo credit: Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images
2000 NBA Finals Uniform
Bryant’s full uniform from the 1999-2000 NBA Finals is estimated to sell for $10,000 to $20,000. The Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers four games to two. It was the first of three consecutive NBA Finals Bryant won with Shaquille O’Neal. The uniform features the black armband the NBA wore that season in honor of Wilt Chamberlain, who died in October 1999.ย
2011 Handprints
In 2011, Bryant became the first athlete to have his handprints and footprints immortalized in cement in front of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The honor is usually reserved for movie stars. Eventually, Bryant would make a footpring on the film industry with his short film Dear Basketball, which won Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 Oscars. The handprints and footprints are expected to sell between $4,000 and $6,000.
2006-2007 Uniforms
The second uniform up for auction was worn during the 2006-2007 season, after Bryant switched to the number 24. Bryant was the top scorer in the NBA that season. Julien’s Auctions is estimating the uniform will sell for $2,000 to $4,000.
Adidas Shoes
The collection of items up for auction includes a pair of black and white Adidas shoes signed by Bryant, who also wrote his number 8 on the shoes. They are expected to sell for between $2,000 and $4,000. Before Bryant began his rookie season in 1996, he signed a six-year contract with Adidas, and switched to Nike in 2004.
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Ball Signed by 2009-2010 Lakers
The last item directly related to Bryant at the auction s a Spalding NBA All Conference Basketball signed by Bryant with other membersย of the 2009-2010 Lakers team. The other signatures are from Ron Artest, Shannon Brown, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Didier Ilunga-Mbenga, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton. The season ended with the Lakers beating the Boston Celtics in seven games in the NBA Finals. The ball is expected to sell fo $2,000 to $4,000.ย
The Highest-Priced Item Isn’t Kobe Bryant Memorabilia
The Kobe Bryant items are only part of Julien’s Auctions’ sports auction. In fact, Julien’s Auctions is not even expecting any of the Bryant items to sell for as much as some of the other items. They are expecting a Jules Rimet replica trophy given to Marco Antรดnio Feliciano after the 1970 World Cup to sell for $30,000 to $50,000. A 2002 FIFA World Cup gold winner’s medal presented to a Brazil player is expected to sell for $20,000 to $40,000.
eBay Removed Bryant Memorial Shirts
While Julien’s Auctions will auction off memorabilia that Bryan used during his career, eBay pulled memorabilia from the Celebration of Life at the Staples Center Monday. Several listings included shirts, pins, programs and other items. One XL shirt sold for $2,025.
eBay later told TMZ the site has a policy keeping sellers from making money from “human tragedy or suffering.”ย
“Please note, due to sudden and tragic passing of Kobe Bryant – eBay has made the decision to prohibit the sale of merchandise, images and mugs relating to their passing,” the company said in a statement to one seller. “We do not allow listings that attempt to profit from human tragedy or suffering.”
