Kobe Bryant No. 8 Lakers jersey fetches huge money at auction

A game-worn No. 8 Kobe Bryant jersey from the 2003-2004 season fetched an astonishing $1.83 million at The Realest auction on Sunday, Nov. 8. This marks the highest sale of a non-rookie Lakers jersey before the star switched to No. 24, and ranks among the top five highest public auction sales of Bryant's NBA jerseys. The authenticated jersey, which bears Bryant's signature, previously changed hands at a charity auction in 2017 before coming to auction again with a certificate of authenticity.

It is believed to have been worn in 17 games that season, including 16-1 overall and 8-0 in the playoffs, under the leadership of Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Bryant scored 31 points and dished out 10 assists in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, 42 points in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, and a 42-point performance in Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves to secure the Western Conference finals.

The jersey, featuring an NBA Finals patch, could not be confirmed as the one worn in the NBA Finals where the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons. The highest-selling Bryant jersey before this was his debut jersey from 1996, which sold for $7 million in April 2025. Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers, winning five championships and being named Finals MVP twice.

He was an All-Star 18 times, and tragically died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.