Eight never-before-seen photographs of Los Angeles Laker icon Kobe Bryant will be released as non-fungible tokens, more commonly known as NFTs.
A digital collectibles company, Cryptograph, is releasing the “KOBE” photos that were taken during a 1999 photoshoot with Bryant.
“This shoot is special because you don’t see him in a jersey,” Cryptograph co-founder Tommy Alastra said. “He’s Kobe Bean Bryant. You can see the father, the son, the husband come out. It’s just him, raw, in everyday Kobe. It’s special. … They’re really quite beautiful.”
All of the photos are in black and white. The photographer, Davis Factor, is a Lakers season-ticket holder who is allowing the photos to be sold on the condition that the money goes to charity.
All sales proceeds will go to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. So, the sales of the NFTs will greatly benefit something that was close to Bryant’s heart.
Monday marked what would have been Bryant’s 43rd birthday. Since his tragic death in January 2020, there have been countless efforts to memorialize him, with these NFTs offering the most recent example of those attempts.
