Kobe Bryant rookie cards have slid in value from their peak along with so many other hot modern era rookies. What will still bring top dollars is when buyers can buy unique game-worn pieces of clothing and apparel used by the greatest sports stars. Game-used (and autograph) jerseys are incredibly rare versus base rookie cards. In fact, the items can range from unique (1/1) to just a few.

Now collectors (and perhaps investors) will get a shot to own a pristine example of a Kobe Bryant rookie year game-worn jersey. SCP Auctions has this prized item up for grabs in the 2022 Spring Premier Auction from May 18 to June 4, 2022. The auction results have not yet been shown, but this could potentially be the highest value of any Kobe Bryant items if all goes well.

Image below by SCP Auctions.

According to the SCP Auctions website, this is labeled as the only known rookie season playoff photomatched jersey that exists. The auction estimate is an astounding $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 for the lot.

Kobe Bryant wore the jersey in two of those playoff games. The seller is anonymous but has had the jersey for 25 years. The backstory is that the seller approached SCP after seeing another Kobe Bryant rookie game-worn jersey sell in 2021 for $3.69 million — and that autographed game-worn yellow jersey was the highest known price for any basketball jersey at the time. That’s quite a bit more than the $1.8 million record for one of the rare Kobe Bryant rookie cards.

There are three letters of authenticity for the jersey’s provenance:

• RESOLUTION PHOTOMATCH LOA,
• SPORTS INVESTORS LOA,
• and MEIGRAY LOA.