Source: Courtesy Sotheby's / Sotheby's
In late July, it was reported that Kobe Bryant's personal locker from the Staples Center will be auctioned, with an estimated value of around $1.5 million.
Well, the auction is officially closed and according to Raw story, the NBA legend's personal locker sold for an impressive $2.9 million. Not bad for a piece of history that was almost gone with the rest of the trash when the Staples Center was renovated in 2018. To be fair, Kobe Bryant (RIP) was still alive and well when his locker was about to get blown up, but still, someone saw its value and was smart enough to keep it knowing it would be invaluable to the right person.
Per Raw Story:
A maintenance worker saved the locker from being dumped in 2018 during renovations to the Staples Center arena, according to Sotheby's. An American collector later acquired the piece.
“Today's price underscores not only Kobe's enduring legacy, but also the exceptional nature of this one-of-a-kind object,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of contemporary collectibles, of the sale price achieved after 19 bids.
The sale at Sotheby's also included memorabilia from sporting icons such as Michael Jordan and Reggie Jackson, as well as items from contemporary stars such as Rafael Nadal and Stephen Curry.
No word on who ended up with the winning bid, but one has to wonder what they plan to do with it. Are they going to build a Kobe shrine with it? Will they actually use it as their own personal home locker? Could the winner have been someone Kobe knew or even played in the NBA with? Was it Vanessa Bryant? We have questions that will probably never be answered.
Who do you think won Kobe Bryant's locker? Let us know in the comments section below.
