LOS ANGELES — One of the rarest Kobe Bryant cards has set a record for the most expensive Bryant card sold.
The 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald Kobe Bryant card sold for $2 million last week, according to PWCC Marketplace, an online trading card marketplace. The record sale occurred privately.
The card shows Bryant, wearing No. 8, passing a basketball in front of an emerald background. The card doesn’t have an autograph nor is it a rookie card.
The card’s condition report scores 9.5 for centering, 8.5 for edges, 8 for corners and 9 for surfaces with an overall score of 8.5 from Beckett Grading Service.
According to Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC, it’s the company’s highest score.
“This is arguably Kobe’s best card in existence,” said Craig. “It’s more desirable than even a Kobe Bryant rookie card or a Kobe Bryant autograph. The grade on this is also the highest that exists, with only one other BGS 8.5 in the world.”
Other than its BGS score, what makes the card a hot commodity is its emerald variation of the Precious Metal Gems issue, since there are only 10 of each issue in existence. Also, the design of the card changed how manufacturers approached “insert” style cards.
“These Precious Metal Gems variants are arguably the most desired insert card in the entire world,” Craig said. “These set the tone for the insert market going forward. It’s just incredibly difficult to find them in any condition, and because of their delicate nature, to find one in such good condition is incredibly rare.”
In March 2021, a rookie Bryant card sold for nearly $1.8 million, which at the time was the record for any Bryant card sold.
Bryant, a former Lakers star and one of the most beloved athletes in the world, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26, 2020, at age 41.
CAVALIERS: The Cleveland Cavaliers promoted assistant general manager Mike Gansey to GM, one of several front-office moves made by the improved team.
Gansey has been with the Cavs since 2011. He will have an increased role in draft preparations while working with Koby Altman, who was recently promoted from GM to president of basketball operations.
The Cavs have had a dramatic turnaround after winning just 22 games last season. They reached the All-Star break fourth in the Eastern Conference and are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
• All-Star guard Darius Garland will miss Cleveland’s game Thursday night at Detroit with a back issue that has slowed him for weeks while newly acquired guard Caris LeVert is sidelined with a sprained right foot.
KNICKS: Kemba Walker shut himself down for remainder of the Knicks season as both sides push for a relocation, sources confirmed.
Walker, the Bronx-bred 33-year-old, has struggled since agreeing to a two-year, $18 million deal and would’ve seen his minutes further cut once Derrick Rose returns from ankle surgery. It’s unlikely that the Knicks and Walker, who is dealing with the ups and downs of an arthritic knee, will agree to a buyout before the March 1 deadline, meaning he’ll enter next season on an expiring contract.
The Knicks, who tried unsuccessfully to trade Walker earlier this month, will have an easier time dealing or buying out Walker in the summer when he’s guaranteed only about $9 million.
Either way, his Knicks career is probably over.
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