Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Sells for Record $500K, Graded Gem Mint 10

[Bleacher Report, AP]

A Kobe Bryant rookie card sold for $500,000 on Wednesday to set a record for the former Los Angeles Lakers star.

The Topps Chrome card received a perfect 10 rating in gem mint condition.

The previous high for Bryant was a signed Impeccable Victory card that sold for $129,999.99 in December, according to Julio Luis Munar of ClutchPoints.

Basketball trading cards have skyrocketed in value lately, with a LeBron James card selling for a record $1.8 million last July. The latest Kobe sale more than doubled the price of the Black Mamba’s old car, which sold for $221,400 on Tuesday.

One year after the death of the Hall of Fame player, the value of Bryant memorabilia clearly remains high.

BY ROB GOLDBERG