Kobe Bryant’s Signature From Last Game Played Sells For Over $600,000
The wood from the Los Angeles Lakers court that featured Kobe Bryant’s signature went for $631,200 on Saturday night after being auctioned off. The section was from the Staples Center where Kobe played the final NBA game of his career, according to a report from TMZ.
The section of the court that was sold was made up of four panels measuring four feet high and eight feet wide, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Lakers legend scored an impressive 60 points in his final game against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016. After a short speech to his fans at the end of the game, Kobe autographed two different parts of the floor. He marked his signature on the numbers eight and 24 portions on the court, which were his jersey numbers he wore while he played for the organization.
His signature on the jersey with 24 was moved to the team’s practice facility while the other section was sold to the highest bidder at an auction. Various items from Kobe’s career have recently been given away, including a towel the athlete used during his last game.
The auction started on September 4, and the panels were expected to sell for around $500,000. After the floor was officially sold, the seller announced that they will be donating 10 percent of the proceeds to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which is a charity that encourages youth sports and is named after Kobe and his daughter, Gigi Bryant.
Many pieces of Kobe’s legendary career have recently become very valuable after the basketball icon and his daughter were involved in a fatal helicopter accident in January.
Since Kobe’s death, members of the Lakers organization have taken special pride in playing for a team where a legend once reigned, especially LeBron James, who expressed how much it means to him while competing for another championship ring in 2020.
“It’s always special to represent someone that meant so much, not only to the game but obviously to the Lakers organization for 20-plus years. For us to honor him, being on the floor, this is what it’s all about,” James stated.
James also gave a special shout-out to Kobe’s family at the end of their Game 2 win, according to Entertainment Tonight.
“We’re thinking about the Bryant family, of Vanessa and them daughters. They’re with us, we’re with you guys, we love you guys and hopefully, we’re making them proud by wearing these uniforms tonight and throughout the course of the postseason,” he expressed in an interview.
