Kobe Bryant 2009 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers Game Worn Jersey | Game 1 | Highest Scoring NBA Finals Performance of Kobe Bryant’s Career | 40 Points

Sold by the National Basketball Association, 

Purchased by a Private Collector

When Kobe Bryant led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2009 NBA Finals, the bitter taste of coming up short in his last two appearances was almost palpable. Despite posting the most dominant performance of his NBA Finals career in Game 1 win (in this jersey) with 40 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, it was clear to anyone watching the post-game press conference that Bryant was far from satisfied.

“I think the best thing we can do is just forget about it,” Bryant would say after the Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic. His stony demeanor on the press podium would come to embody his mentality in the second half of his career: the “Mamba Mentality." The job was not finished (Bryant would famously remark after the Lakers’ Game 2 win), until his opponent was. 

The 2009 NBA Finals was the 4th championship of Bryant’s career, but this one felt different. This team was his. He no longer stood in the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal, the de facto leader of the Lakers’ early 2000s dynasty. After imposing his will on the Magic on both sides of the ball, game after game, Kobe had secured his first NBA Finals MVP and in the process, cemented his legacy as one of the most lethal basketball players the world had ever seen. 

After clinching the championship in Game 5, Kobe was asked how winning compared to his previous three rings. Bryant’s tone was noticeably more relaxed. “Well”, he said smiling, “I just don't have to hear that criticism - that idiotic criticism - anymore.” 

This time, he had achieved his dream on his own terms, proving to the world that he was more than just “1B” to Shaq's “1A” —he was the Black Mamba, a legend in his own right, destined to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Sotheby’s is proud to present Kobe Bryant’s Game Worn Jersey from Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals, the greatest NBA Finals performance of Kobe’s career. 

The jersey is accompanied by a photomatch letter from The MeiGray Group, having originally been sold by the National Basketball Association.

Going Deeper | Kobe Bryant

After three consecutive Laker championships from 2000-2002, the legendary tandem of Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal was disbanded when Shaq was dealt to the Miami Heat in 2004. With Kobe firmly in the driver's seat of the Lakers offense, he quickly established himself as one of the premier scorers the game has ever seen. 

Between 2005 and the end of his career, Kobe put on a plethora of jaw-dropping scoring displays: 62 points against the Mavericks, 81 points against the Raptors (2nd all-time in NBA history) 55 here, 60 there. It seemed that any night could provide NBA fans with a dominant performance – a scoring clinic. 

Kobe won back-to-back scoring titles in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 and achieved NBA League MVP honors in the 2007-2008 season, the only regular season MVP of his career. After being joined by Pau Gasol, Kobe led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2008, 2009, 2010) and two NBA championships (2009 and 2010), earning Finals MVP honors on both occasions. 

Kobe ended his historic career with one last shining moment in 2016. In his final game in the NBA, a 37-year old Bryant willed the Lakers to a come-from-behind victory, scoring 60 points and hitting the game-winning shot in the process. The performance was surreal, the perfect bow on the gift that was watching Kobe play. A nod to the basketball greats, a demonstration of a love for the game, deep-rooted and palpable. 

In 2021, Kobe Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Lakers organization retired both numbers he wore during his career, 24 and 8. 

*On this lot, no portion of proceeds is being remitted to The Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.