Kobe Bryant’s high school jersey sells at auction for record-breaking $2.2 million

Everything started at Lower Merion High School for Kobe Bryant. On Friday, Sotheby's reported that one of Bryant's game-worn No. 33 jerseys sold for a record-breaking $2.2 million, making it the most expensive high school jersey ever sold at an auction. "This Lower Merion jersey is where Kobe's story starts, before the rings, the records, and the Mamba Mentality, when he was just a kid in a gym outworking everyone. This jersey symbolizes that greatness has a beginning, and this jersey was there for it," reads the description from Sotheby's. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's high school basketball jersey sold at a record-breaking number. Anthony J. Causi This is not the first time the jersey has been moved, as it was sold in 2013 for $51,400. The report of the jersey read that the item had 26 bids, with seven different bidders competing for the highly sought-after item. Bryant's jersey sale eclipsed LeBron James' St. Vincent-St. Mary jersey, which was worn during his infamous 2002 Sports Illustrated "The Chosen One" cover and sold in 2024 for $1.3 million. Sotheby's reported that Bryant wore the sold jersey during his junior season, in a March 1995 matchup against Hazleton, Pa., Area. Kobe Bryant played his entire NBA career with the Lakers. UPI