This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/21/2021
These are the sneakers that began the legendary career of Kobe Bryant. Signed by Bryant, and with a letter from MEARS, these shoes were worn by the NBA great in his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 3rd, 1996. A world-class competitor with an unmatched work ethic, there is little that can be said about Kobe that has not been said already. He is one of, if not the greatest, scorers in NBA history and has certified his spot on the game’s Mount Rushmore with 5 NBA Championships, and MVP, and 18 All-Star selections. Coming straight out of high school at Lower Merion, PA, Bryant was just 18 years old when he played his first game for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe played that game with these shoes.
The shoes come from Laker superfan Scott Hurlimann, a North Dakota native. Knowing the Lakers were playing against the Timberwolves, his two favorite teams, and Kobe was making his first appearance, he needed to go and watch the young star’s first appearance. Before the game, Scott met all the players outside of the stadium, including Bryant, and got numerous items signed. Scott asked Kobe if he could have his shoes after the game, to which Kobe responded “No problem, just meet me out here after the game”. Sure enough, Kobe came out with the shoes. The shoes exhibit heavy wear, which is noted in the MEARS letter, most likely because the shoes were worn during various practices before the game. A few years later, Scott managed to meet Kobe again outside a hotel and got a very rushed initialed autograph on the shoes. These are without a doubt the most important Kobe Bryant shoes to ever come up for auction.
Shoes measure size 14 and are made by Adidas. It is important to note this style of shoes were only worn by Kobe during his debut season. The shoes come with a original full ticket from the game, which is incredibly rare in itself. The ultimate Kobe Bryant piece of memorabilia, these shoes come with a MEARS Letter of Authenticity, a Letter of Provenance from Scott Hurlimann and a Gotta Have Rock & Roll Certificate of Authenticity.