If you're an avid sports memorabilia collector a once in a lifetime auction is now available until May 16.
Goldin Auctions is currently offering nearly 100 pieces of Kobe Bryant memorabilia in what is believed to be the largest collection of Kobe items ever assembled in one place.
The auction is categorized as the "Kobe Bryant Hall of Fame Announcement Auction," and includes game-worn sneakers, jerseys, and basketballs, among other items.
Ken Goldin, the owner of the sports collectibles auction, told ESPN recently that the items were originally collected in December to coincide with Bryant's induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, which was announced on April 4.
Goldin said that initially he thought of postponing the auction after Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, but Goldin believed that cancelling or postponing the auction would be unfair to the cosigners, and instead decided to honor Kobe and Gianna by donating five percent of the proceeds from each item to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
The foundation's mission is to create a positive impact on people's lives through sports and was established by Vanessa Bryant to further Kobe and Gianna Bryant's legacy through charitable endeavors in sports. Vanessa Bryant is not involved with the auction itself.
There are 86 individual pieces of Kobe Bryant memorabilia in the auction as well as other collectibles that are related to Bryant.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Among the notable items is a 14K, 40-diamond, 2000 NBA Championship ring that according to the auction was gifted by Kobe to his mother, Pam Bryant. The ring is the first of five championship rings won by Bryant in his career.
Kobe's 2012 Team USA Gold Medalist ring from the London Olympics is also available for auction. The ring features eight diamonds in honor of the team's 8-0 record during their gold medal run.
Some of the more unique items available for auction are a leather Lakers handbag signed by the entire 2012-2013 team, a letter signed by Kobe Bryant on White House stationary, and an autographed copy of the final stats from the Lakers January 22, 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors in which Bryant scored 81 points.
"There's something for everyone," Goldin told ESPN. "We expect the price points here to go from as low as $500 to potentially over $100,000 for some items."
Non-Kobe items included an autographed Sabrina Ionescu jersey from her collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks. The 2020 WNBA No. 1 overall pick to the New York Liberty inscribed on the jersey "To Kobe," and features a picture of Kobe and Gianna Bryant with Ionescu.
There are a few LeBron James items up for auction as well, including a game-worn Lakers jersey, a game-worn Cleveland Cavaliers jersey from his rookie season, and the actual nets from the January 25, 2020 game between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, when James passed Bryant for No. 3 on the NBA's All-Time scoring list.
Bryant's last tweet before his death was addressed to LeBron congratulating him on the accomplishment and encouraging him to continue "to move the game forward."
Bryant also reportedly called James before the helicopter crash to congratulate him on the monumental accomplishment over the phone.
The entire Kobe Bryant Hall of Fame Announcement Auction catalog is available here and ends on May 16.
