Kobe Bryant's 1st No. 24 Lakers Jersey Sells for $889K, Sold for $10K in 2006

A historic piece of memorabilia from the late, great Kobe Bryant was flipped for a massive profit.

Per Will Stern of Cllct.com, Bryant's first-ever game-worn No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers jersey sold for $889,000 on Tuesday night as part of the Sotheby's "Legend of Sport" auction. Stern added that a report from Sports Collectors Daily revealed that the jersey was originally sold by Upper Deck Authenticated for $10,875 on eBay in 2006, two weeks after Bryant debuted his new number.

"This jersey is not merely a relic of a single night, but a symbolic artifact from a career that bridged eras and identities," Sotheby's Brendan Hawkes said in a pre-sale statement. "Signed and inscribed to forever link it to the debut of No. 24, it stands as one of the most culturally and historically significant Kobe Bryant jerseys to ever surface — the tangible starting point of a chapter that would help define his legend."

Bryant began his career with the No. 8 after his high school jersey No. 24 was already occupied by George McCloud when he arrived to the Lakers in 1996. On November 3, 2006, he played in the No. 24 jersey for the first time, scoring 23 points in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics.

Bryant went on to win two out of his five NBA championships in the No. 24 jersey, leading the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals appearances from 2008 to 2010. He was named Finals MVP for the first time in his career in 2009, and he won it again the following year. After his retirement in 2016, the Lakers retired both the No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys in his honor.