Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from the 2016 NBA All-Star Game sold for $100,040 in an auction, just about doubling the previous all-time high for NBA Auction's highest selling item. Bryant's farewell tour this season has attracted crowds everywhere he goes and has been a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant started for the Western Conference in the 65th All-Star Game and received the honor of being announced last. It was his 18th All-Star selection and he led the West in minutes played, scoring 10 points.
The previous record-holder for highest selling item on NBA Auctions was the jersey LeBron James wore for his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which sold for $50,040. James' 2014 and 2015 NBA Finals jerseys from games of each series were the third- and fourth-highest selling items, followed by Stephen Curry's 2016 NBA All-Star Game jersey.
Bryant's 18 All-Star selections are second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 19. Bryant played 25 minutes and scored 10 points to go with seven assists, six rebounds and a steal in the West's 196-173 win. Bryant has four All-Star Game MVP awards under his belt, including the one he shared with Shaquille O'Neal in 2009.
Bryant's final All-Star Game had an average of 7.6 million viewers by Nielsen's ratings, topping out at 8.7 million for about 15 minutes. The ratings were a 6 percent increase from last year, though host city Toronto will not get credit since it is outside the U.S.
Bryant is averaging 16.8 points per game in his final season, though the Lakers are stuck in last place of the Western Conference at 15-54. Therefore, the last time Bryant will play in the Staples Center will be April 13 when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz for their last regular season game. It may not be unreasonable to expect Bryant's game-worn gear from that game to set a new NBA Auctions record.
Bryant has sat out for various stretches of the season, and is expected to return to the court tonight when the Lakers play the Phoenix Suns. After that, the Lakers will only have 13 games left in the Kobe Bryant era.
