Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Kobe Bryant’s final autographs to be auctioned off

- By Chuck Schilken Los Angeles Times

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016, before declaring “Mamba out!” and calling it a career.

It was a special night in team history. And one fan can own a unique piece of it.

Before leaving the Staples Center floor for the final time as a player, Bryant autographe­d two portions of it – the parts decorated with the two jersey numbers he wore during his career, Nos. 8 and 24.

The signed No. 24 portion has been installed at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. The signed No. 8 portion is available to the highest bidder through Heritage Auctions.

It’s made up of four panels, each measuring 4x8 feet. The way those panels are laid out, the flooring more or less covers an area of 8x16 feet.

Bryant, daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas.

A towel Bryant draped around his shoulders after his final game was auctioned off in March for more than $33,000. The current bid for the autographe­d flooring is $210,000 – and the amount is sure to climb before the auction closes on Oct. 3.

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