A Kobe Bryant rookie card sold for $ 1.8 million Saturday night to Goldin Auctions, an online auction house and sports memorabilia depot, making it one of the most expensive basketball cards. never sold.
“The Kobe Bryant Rookie Card # 138 Topps Chrome Refractors 1996-1997 – BGS Pristine / Black Label 10 is just one of two in the world in its level of perfection,” Goldin Auctions explained.
Final sale price: $ 1,795,800
A historical record of any Kobe Bryant card. pic.twitter.com/dTStDwavHx
– Goldin Auctions (@GoldinAuctions) March 7, 2021
The card report had 10 perfect in all areas, which qualifies it for the prestigious “black label” recognition.
Goldin Auctions had not revealed the buyer’s name until Sunday morning.
Bryant was one of the most revered athletes in the world before his death last year. The five-time NBA champion died with his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41.
A few weeks after his death, Bryant cards were everywhere online, increasing their value by 600%, according to eBay sales data.
“Kobe Bryant was one of the fiercest competitors of all time and a truly great figure. His rookie card is one of the rarest in existence and one of only two on earth in pristine black-labeled condition, which is the highest possible, “Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, told ESPN.