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Kobe Bryant’s first No.24 Lakers jersey sells for $889,000 at Sotheby’s auction
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At the same time Wayne Gretzky jersey from his final NHL appearance with the New York Rangers in 1999 failed to sell

Kobe Bryant’s first Los Angeles Lakers jersey with the No. 24 on the back has been sold for $889,000 at a Sotheby’s auction.

The jersey, which Bryant wore in a November 3, 2006 victory over the Seattle Supersonics as he scored 23 points that night, holds special significance as it marked the beginning of his career in the number he made iconic. That season, Bryant scored 50 points or more on 10 occasions and claimed his second straight, and final, NBA scoring title.

Signed with the inscriptions “FIRST 24” and “1/1” alongside an Upper Deck hologram, the jersey has also been photo-matched to the Lakers’ 2006 media day. MeiGray Authenticated confirmed the match.

The sale, while significant, falls well short of the record $7 million fetched in April for a Bryant rookie-season jersey worn in seven games during the 1996-97 campaign.

On the same night, a game-worn Jerry West jersey from 1964–1967 sold for $533,400. The kit was confirmed to have been used in multiple Western Division finals games in 1965 and 1966, as well as Game 2 of the 1966 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Sports Investors Authentication indicated the jersey was also “likely” worn in the 1965 and 1966 Finals, in which West averaged more than 33 points per game.

Meanwhile, a Wayne Gretzky jersey from his final NHL appearance with the New York Rangers in 1999 failed to sell after bids did not meet the set reserve price. Sotheby’s had expected it to surpass $1 million.