The legend of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant remains strong, as the towel he wore in his final game in 2016 was sold at an auction for nearly $33,000.
Winning bidder of the BodyArmor towel that Kobe wore in his final game is David Kohler, whose @LakersShrine has more than 2,000 Lakers items. Kohler bought the towel in @IconicAuctions sale, which closed this morning at $32,720, including buyer’s premium. pic.twitter.com/Y5VBUtKrNR
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 29, 2020
Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a tragic helicopter crash on Jan. 26, with their deaths setting off waves of emotion across the world.
Tributes during all NBA games in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, as well as anecdotes of Bryant’s overall contributions to the game, followed.
While Bryant’s and his daughter’s funerals were private, all of the victims were recognized in an emotional memorial service at Staples Center on Feb. 24.
Bryant’s final game of an iconic 20-year career came on April 13, 2016, when he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz.
One of the more amazing aspects of that final point total was that Bryant failed to connect on his first five shots at the start of the game.
In many cases, collectors tend to seek jerseys or sneakers of former players.
However, given the breadth of memorabilia held by the winning bidder, it’s clear that David Kohler is seeking to obtain any bit of Lakers history he can.
Given the amount of money obtained for what would otherwise be considered an insignificant item, it’s likely that any Bryant-related material that’s auctioned off in the near future will garner a steep price.
