Sotheby’s is auctioning off Kobe Bryant’s personal locker from the Staples Center. Bryant utilized this locker for the majority of his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, from 2003 to his last game in April 2016.
The locker is the highlight of Sotheby’s New York online auction, “Altitude | Capsule Collection,” which includes 23 pieces of sports memorabilia.
Bryant’s locker, which he utilized for the majority of his Los Angeles Lakers career, is likely to bring $1 million to $1.5 million. The auction house produced photographic evidence of Bryant utilizing the locker from the 2003-04 season to the 2015-16 season.
Kobe Bryant’s locker is up for sale
“If the Staples Center was ‘The House that Kobe Built,’ then this was his room within that house, a remarkable and intimate artifact that accompanied Kobe throughout his career,” explained Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectables.
After Bryant retired, Brandon Ingram took over his locker. During the Staples Center renovations in 2018, the whole locker room was demolished. A maintenance worker recognized the locker’s significance and rescued it before it could be disposed away.
A private collector later purchased the locker, along with Bryant’s nameplate. This enabled the nameplate to be reattached to the locker.
Wachter continued: “Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey,”
“This locker was Kobe’s safe haven amidst triumphs and difficulties, a witness to the highs and lows of a legendary career. Every triumph and adversity left its imprint within these walls. Its emergence at auction today represents a unique opportunity to buy a piece of Kobe’s legacy,” he added.
Los Angeles Lakers history is tied to the locker.
A Kobe Bryant monument at Crypto.com Arena.
Bryant used the locker for the NBA Finals in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010, as well as the All-Star Games in 2004 and 2011.
The locker was used on December 20, 2005, when Bryant scored 62 points through three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks, on January 22, 2006, when he set a franchise record with 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, and on April 13, 2016, when he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz.
Bidding on Bryant’s locker will begin this week and continue until July 31. The locker will be on public display in Sotheby’s New York galleries from July 26 to July 30.
A percentage of the revenues from the auction will benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation, which honors Bryant’s philanthropic legacy. The foundation, the Lakers’ official team charity, strives to empower and inspire young people through education, sports, and community service.
Additional listings in the auction
The auction also includes Michael Jordan’s final basketball game shorts, Diego Maradona’s signed World Cup semifinal shirt, a tennis racket used by Rafael Nadal at the 2006 French Open and Wimbledon, and Florence Griffith-Joyner’s legendary spikes from the 1988 Olympics.
In April, Bryant’s 2000 NBA championship ring, which he had given to his father, Joe Bryant, sold for $927,200 at auction. This transaction broke the previous record for the highest price ever paid for an NBA championship ring, which was $705,000 in 2021 for Bill Russell’s 1957 ring.
Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year career for the Lakers, retiring after scoring 60 points in his final game in 2016.
The Hall of Famer was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
