An iconic Kobe Bryant jersey and ultra-rare Michael Jordan card are currently up for auction at Goldin, and both items are expected to fetch crazy amounts when the bidding ends Saturday, June 1.
Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin talked to ClutchPoints to discuss about the incredibly historic items that are part of the Goldin 100 event and shared his prediction about how much they could end up selling.
Kobe Bryant's legendary Lakers jersey
At the time of writing, Bryant's jersey from the legendary torn Achilles game has a $1 million bid–$1.2 million including buyer's premium. However, that price is projected to go even higher when the countdown for the bid gets to the final hours.
According to Goldin, he predicts that the jersey will sell “between $3 million to $5 million.” For context, the most expensive Bryant jersey ever sold is one from his 2007-08 MVP season, which ended up with a final price of $5.8 million.
While that may sound like a ridiculous amount for many, no one can deny the importance of the jersey in Bryant's incredible career. For those not in the know, the torn Achilles game is one of the most iconic moment's in Kobe's stint in the NBA.
Back in the 2012-13 season during a showdown with the Golden State Warriors, Bryant tore his Achilles on a non-contact play. It was called a foul, however, after it initially appeared that Harrison Barnes tripped the Black Mamba. But instead of exiting the game and getting himself checked, Bryant proceeded to take his free throws first before leaving the floor. His free throws tied the game for the Lakers at 109, eventually paving the way for their 118-116 victory.
That showing has been often used to highlight the “Mamba Mentality” and Bryant's tenaciousness–that nothing would stop him from helping his team, not even a season-ending injury.
“This jersey captures a moment in time that was one of the most impactful on Kobe’s career. In that moment, as he experienced his worst career injury, he showed the true ‘mamba mentality’ and went to the free-throw line to sink two free throws before leaving the gam,” Goldin added.
It remains to be seen exactly how much the item will be sold, but don't be surprised if it even surpasses Goldin's prediction. If one of his many jerseys from his MVP season already sold for $5.8 million, imagine how much more can a jersey from such an important moment will sell for.
Here's the item description from Goldin's listing:
The offered jersey features all numbering and lettering in tackle twill and has been signed by Bryant. Bryant has penned his flowing signature in black marker on the “4” of his iconic number “24” on the jersey's front. An NBA Logoman patch rests on the jersey's upper left chest, and a commemorative “JB” patch for the passing of Lakers' majority owner Jerry Buss earlier that season rests on the upper right chest.
Rare Michael Jordan card available
Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles jersey is not the only one-of-a-kind item that is currently up for auction as part of Goldin 100. A one-of-one Michael Jordan card that is autographed and features an NBA Logoman patch is also available, with the current bidding at $1.5 million already–$1.8 million including buyer's premium.
The card has a “1/1” inscription on a blue ink, similar to what Jordan used to sign the card. It has also been authenticated by PSA, with the autograph getting a perfect grade of 10.
Here's the item's description from the Goldin listing:
On the cardfront, the commemorative's red, white, and blue game-used jersey patch, displaying the iconic NBA silhouette emblem that is contemporaneously referred to as the “Logoman,” occupies the item's left side, next to Jordan's blue ink on-card signature. The autograph is a brilliant, flowing example of the legend's scripting, earning an unsurpassable “GEM MT 10” autograph grade from PSA/DNA. Foil accents around the patch display window and over Jordan's name and position captions lend an additional element of visual intrigue to an arresting presentation. A determined, focused action image of the gravity-defying sportsman is positioned in the center of the card, donning the all-important Bulls jersey that recalls his finest years. In the bottom corner, the limited-edition piece is hand serial-numbered “1/1.”
According to Goldin during the ClutchPoints interview, the item could fetch “over $3 million.” The Goldin CEO called it the “Holy Grail of Michael Jordan cards,” adding that “most people have never even seen a picture of the card and or seen it in person for the past 20 years.”
Goldin added, “Many people thought it would still be inside an unopened pack that sat on the shelf for 21 years — it was the Chicago Bulls logo of Michael Jordan off a game-used Chicago Bulls jersey, it is universally accepted as the single greatest Michael Jordan card ever produced. This will certainly become the single most valuable Michael Jordan card ever sold.”
When asked how they were able to stumble upon such precious find, Goldin shared that it started three years ago when the person who pulled it from a pack over two decades ago contacted him. While the original owner is really in love with the card, they eventually agreed to put it up for auction.
“About three years ago, I was contacted by the individual who pulled the rare card from a pack over 20 years ago. He was very attached to it, keeping it in its original, ungraded condition. In 2023, I was able to convince him to at least get it graded. Following this, we both agreed the Goldin 100 would be the perfect opportunity to launch the card to the world,” Goldin said.
Similar to the Bryant jersey, the Jordan card could end up exceeding expectations. Considering Jordan's popularity and status as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), he has plenty of avid collectors who are more than willing to shell out millions of dollars to get their hands on an item that is the only one of its kind. MJ memorabilia continue to increase in value over the years as well, and collectors and sports card investors can never go wrong with, as Goldin said, the “Holy Grail” of Jordan cards.
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