Handprints among Bryant memorabilia on auction block

A copy of Kobe Bryant’s handprints, cast in cement outside Hollywood’s famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, will be sold at an April 30 auction along with other memorabilia attached to the basketball legend who died in January.

Julien’s Auctions said on Thursday the handprints are tests from 2011 when Bryant became the first athlete to leave his mark alongside some of the movie industry’s biggest stars in the forecourt of the Hollywood Boulevard theatre. Their presale estimate is US$4,000-$6,000.

Bryant died Jan. 26 at age 41 in a helicopter crash in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas. His 13-yearold daughter Gianna and seven other people were also killed.

Demand for Bryant apparel and other items surged immediately after his death, with sellers on eBay and other sites asking tens of thousands of dollars for sneakers, jerseys and balls signed by the star.

Julien’s said the Bryant items were being offered by a collector in Kentucky. The sale is part of the company’s annual Sport Legends auction that was being organized before Bryant’s death.

“Celebrities’ auction values always increase when they pass away as they’re no longer using or creating new items. It takes them to another iconic status when they pass away,” chief executive Darren Julien said in a statement.

“Like Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson would always be remembered, Kobe was young, vibrant, because he didn’t age.”

The top Bryant item is a full Los Angeles Lakers No. 8 uniform that he wore during the 1999-2000 NBA Finals. It carries a presale estimate of $10,000 to $20,000.

A pair of signed, game-worn Adidas basketball shoes bearing Bryant’s No. 8 are expected to fetch up to $4,000. Also on the block is a basketball signed by all of the 2009-10 Lakers team members.