Exclusive | Rare Kobe Bryant jersey from birth of ‘Black Mamba’ era could fetch millions

Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 is headed back to the auction block, and this one comes stitched with a remarkable piece of Lakers history.

The Realest is auctioning a signed, game-worn Bryant jersey from the 2003-04 season — the only No. 8 Bryant jersey to reach the market featuring an NBA Finals patch — with expectations that it could command several million dollars.

And this wasn’t some jersey that spent most nights hanging in a locker.

Bryant wore it across at least 17 documented games as the Lakers went a staggering 16-1, including 8-0 in the playoffs. It was on his back for all three Western Conference series-clinching victories during Los Angeles’ march to the 2004 NBA Finals.

The jersey also survived some vintage Kobe nights: his season-high 45 points against the Warriors, the circus shot against the Rockets and a 42-point masterpiece against the Spurs in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The season carries another layer of mythology. It was during 2003-04 that Bryant created his “Black Mamba” persona, while making his final playoff run alongside Shaquille O’Neal.

Originally auctioned by the Lakers on Bryant’s jersey retirement night in 2017, the jersey hasn’t been publicly offered since.

It will debut at ComplexCon in Los Angeles on Oct. 3-4 before traveling through Asia. The auction closes Nov. 8 — an appropriate finish for one of the rarest pieces from Bryant’s No. 8 era.

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