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Bryant jersey before the auction
Photo: ED JONES / AFP
Kobe Bryant has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA titles – and one most important player award.
That was in the 2007/2008 season.
A jersey from that same season came up for auction and fetched $5.8 million.
With the equivalent of 5.4 million euros, the third-highest price ever paid for a sports jersey was achieved at the auction house Sotheby's on Thursday, after jerseys by Michael Jordan and Diego Maradona.
It is also the highest auction price for a Kobe Bryant memorabilia.
However, Sotheby's had expected a price of up to seven million dollars.
Bryant had worn the Los Angeles Lakers number 24 yellow and purple jersey in 25 games during the 2007/2008 season, scoring 645 points.
The jersey is known for photos from April 2008. They show Bryant screaming with joy after a three-pointer against the Denver Nuggets.
Numerous street artists around the world have now immortalized the motif on walls and walls, especially in Los Angeles.
The previous record for a Bryant jersey auction was $3.7 million.
Jordan jersey brought in more than ten million US dollars
Millions of dollars are now being paid for memorabilia from the world of sport.
The record is held by a jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan from the Chicago Bulls, which was auctioned off last September for $10.1 million.
A jersey worn by Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona sold for $9.3 million in May.
Bryant is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.
In his 20-year career, he won the gold medal with the US team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in addition to the five NBA championships.
In 2016 he ended his career.
He died in a helicopter accident in early 2020.
He was only 41 years old.
jok/AFP