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You are here: Home / Sports Memorabilia News / Saved by Worker, Kobe Bryant’s Old Staples Center Locker Goes to Auction

Saved by Worker, Kobe Bryant’s Old Staples Center Locker Goes to Auction

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Unceremoniously removed from the Los Angeles Lakers locker room during renovation of Staples Center in 2018, Kobe Bryant’s old locker is now up for auction where it could sell for $1 million or more.

Sotheby’s announced Monday that the locker used by Bryant from the 2003-04 season to his final game in 2016 had been “set to be discarded” along with the rest of the lockers and fixtures as part of a makeover. 

The locker once used by Kobe Bryant is being offered at auction- Images courtesy Sotheby’s.

“A vigilant maintenance worker recognized the significance of Kobe’s locker and saved it from disposal,” the auction house stated.  After the worker put it in storage, it “was aquired by an American collector in a private transaction.”  The new owner also held Bryant’s original locker nameplate, “thus reuniting these two iconic pieces.”

The original nameplate from Bryant’s time with the Lakers wound up with a collector who later purchased the locker.

Bryant wasn’t the last player to use the wooden locker, though.  After his 2016 retirement, it was given to Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram, the number 2 overall draft pick in 2016.  At the time, Lakers coach Luke Walton made it a point to let Ingram know he was inheriting the locker used by the former legend and the story became national news.

The locker was in use when Bryant and the Lakers celebrated their 2010 NBA championship after winning a hard fought Game 7 against the Boston Celtics and the 2006 night when he scored 81 points in a regular season game against the Toronto Raptors.

MeiGray has photomatched the locker to numerous images taken over the years.

“Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey,” stated Brahm Wachter of Sotheby’s. “This locker was Kobe’s sanctuary amidst triumphs and challenges, a witness to the highs and lows of a storied career.”

The auction house says a portion of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Lakers Youth Foundation, “in keeping with Kobe Bryant’s legacy of philanthropy and community impact.”

Bidding runs through Aug. 2.  The locker will be on public view in Sotheby’s New York galleries from July 26-30.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].