Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan's iconic debut jerseys expected to fetch record-breaking $20,000,000 at auction

As one of the greatest NBA players ever, Kobe Bryant's memorabilia continues to be a hot-ticket item at auctions. Reports emerged of a new piece of attire that is expected to command a high price.

On Thursday morning, the auction company Sotheby's announced two major sports collection pieces set to go on sale. They have obtained the game-worn jerseys from the rookie debuts of both Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Seeing that these are two of the top guards in the history of the sport, Sotheby's is expecting these jerseys to command a hefty price. In total, they are projecting to net over $20 million between both sales.

“The historical weight of these two jerseys is difficult to overstate. They are as rare as they come,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, in a statement.

The MJ and Kobe Bryant jerseys will be sold separately and can be bid on starting March 21st.

Coming out of high school, Bryant is among the rare players to debut in the NBA at 18. He appeared in 71 games for the LA Lakers as a rookie, averaging 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Bryant would eventually blossom into a superstar talent and lead the franchise to five championships.

Having spent multiple years in college, Jordan's rookie year with the Chicago Bulls was far more notable. He took home Rookie of the Year honors in 1985 after averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

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A piece of Kobe Bryant memorabilia once broke a record at an auction

Projected to sell for around $10 million, Kobe Bryant's debut jersey could set a record when it goes up for auction. It would not be the first time a piece from the Hall of Fame guard sold for an absurd amount.

Over the summer, Sotheby's auctioned off the locker that Bryant used at Staple's Center from 2003 to his final season with the Lakers in 2016. It ended up being sold for an impressive $2.9 million. The company later came out and said that this sale set a new record for the most someone has spent on a sports locket.

According to reports, Kobe Bryant's locker is not his highest-selling piece of memorabilia. A signed jersey from his MVP season in 2008 once sold for $5.6 million.

As one of the top stars of his generation, collectors are going to have to pay a steep price to secure anything connected to Bryant. Only time will tell if his rookie jersey is able to set new records.