On August 3, Beijing time, according to ESPN, the locker used by Kobe Bryant at the Lakers' home court has been auctioned for $2.9 million. Bryant used this locker from 2003-04 to 2015-16.

According to Sotheby's, this is the most expensive sports locker ever sold at auction. It is also the third-most expensive memorabilia in Kobe Bryant's history, behind Bryant's autographed game jersey ($3.69 million) in his rookie season and Kobe's pro-signed jersey ($5.6 million) that won the MVP in 2007-08.

It is reported that the starting price of Kobe's locker is $750,000, compared with the previous valuation of $1.5 million. In the last 20 minutes before the auction ended, four bidders pushed the price closer to $3 million.

Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles at Sotheby's, said in a statement: "Kobe Bryant's locker is more than just a memento. This is a relic of one of the most iconic figures in basketball. Today's price highlights not only Kobe's enduring legacy, but also the remarkable nature of this unique item. ”

During the 2018 renovation of the Staples Center, an unnamed repairman rescued Bryant's locker from demolition and sold it to a private collector who reassembled the locker with Bryant's nameplate. Sotheby's noted that part of the proceeds will be donated to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.

Bryant spent 20 years with the Lakers in his career, playing in 1,346 regular season games, being named 18 All-Stars, 15 All-Star selections, winning five NBA championships and two Finals MVPs. He was named the regular season MVP in 2007-08 and won two scoring titles. In a helicopter accident in 2020, Kobe died tragically.