Following the 2021 auction, a pair of Kobe Bryant-owned Kobe 2 sneakers worn by LeBron in his high school days are available for auction. The USA color palette only adds to the intrigue surrounding these and is a physical recreation of the legendary meeting between two must-win Hall of Famers.
While each LeBron memorabilia carries a certain amount of history, what it means to the players is on another level entirely. This adidas Kobe 2 was originally conceived by Kobe himself with Peter Moore as a tribute to the victims of 9/11, just a few days after the events took place. The camera cuts to February 2002, before the All-Star Game: At their first meeting, Bryant gave the sneakers to 17-year-old James. In a few days, the legendary duo will make their debut as LeBron's St. Vincent St. Louis. Mary goes head-to-head with Cameron Anthony's Oak Hill Academy.
Although James' side failed to get the win on the night, he wasn't short of scoring. His 36 10 5 stats indicate his famously sky-high potential and the last special detail about Kobe 2. If it's not already clear, the Kobe 2 USA marked the beginning of LeBron's two professional relationships, which was reflected in the 2003 draft, numerous free agent rumors, and a dozen All-Star games.
All of these key factors add up to a correspondingly high asking price. The King high school shoes have a starting bid of $45,000, but there are already some reasons in history as to why this certainly didn't work; The shoes went on sale less than three years ago with a starting price of $15,000 and ended up selling for a whopping $156,000.