A pair of sneakers worn by LeBron James that were given to him by Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant in 2002 were purchased for $156,000 at an auction.
Wild — LeBron’s game worn “USA” Kobe Twos, gifted to him straight from Kobe in 2002 and his “most fond moment” of Bryant — have sold for $156,000 at @HeritageAuction: https://t.co/FUN8Lj2DC5 pic.twitter.com/m2rlfHjCEY
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) February 28, 2021
At the time that James was given the sneakers by Bryant, James was a high school basketball star one year away from entering the NBA. Meanwhile, Bryant was establishing himself as an NBA legend as part of a third consecutive championship team for the Lakers.
James and Bryant would go on to face each other many times on the court until Bryant retired in 2016 after spending 20 seasons in a Lakers uniform.
Two years after Bryant’s retirement, James joined the Lakers in free agency and forged an even stronger bond with Bryant. Of course, that bond tragically ended on Jan. 26 of last year.
Bryant’s shocking death in a helicopter crash stunned the sports world and devastated James, who ended up leading the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title.
