Kobe Bryant High School Jersey Sells for Record $2.17M at Sotheby’s

Kobe Bryant’s game-worn Lower Merion High School jersey sold for $2.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction concluding on October 28, setting a new world record for a high school basketball jersey sold at auction.

The Record-Breaking Sale at Sotheby’s

The burgundy jersey, which Bryant wore during the 1994-95 high school season, drew 26 bids from seven prospective buyers during the auction. Sotheby’s had initially estimated the value of the jersey between $1 million and $2 million before an intense bidding war pushed the final price past expectations. The sale eclipsed the previous high-water mark set in 2024, when a jersey worn by LeBron James—immortalized on the 2002 Sports Illustrated cover featuring the headline “The Chosen One”—sold for $1.3 million.

The price underscores a massive surge in market value over the past decade. The exact same Lower Merion jersey previously sold at auction in 2013 for $51,400, meaning its valuation increased by more than 42 times over 13 years.

Authentication and Provenance

The artifact originally belonged to Pamela Bryant, the mother of Kobe, before it was acquired by a private collector. Authentifiers verified the authenticity of the garment by matching it to photographs taken in March 1995 during a game against Hazleton Area.

The jersey carries a unique distinction in basketball memorabilia: it is the only game-worn jersey from Kobe Bryant that features neither the word “Lakers” nor any reference to Los Angeles. Bryant wore the number 33 in high school as an homage to his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, who also sported the number during his own scholastic playing days.

Following the 1994-95 season in which the jersey was worn, Bryant led Lower Merion to the Pennsylvania state championship the following year, securing the school’s first state title in more than 50 years.

Cultural Impact and Market Context

Brahm Wachter, the head of modern collectibles at Sotheby’s, emphasized the historical weight of the item following the sale. “Ce maillot de Lower Merion est l’endroit où l’histoire de Kobe commence, avant les bagues, les records et la mentalité Mamba, quand il n’était qu’un enfant dans un gymnase qui surpassait tout le monde. Ce maillot symbolise le fait que la grandeur a un commencement, et ce maillot était là pour ça,” Wachter stated.

The sale highlights sustained market demand for memorabilia tied to the Black Mamba. In 2025, a jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his debut with the Lakers fetched $7 million.