Kobe Bryant rookie cards have been hobby royalty for decades, and his untimely death in January of 2020 only magnified his stature among collectors.
From the moment the Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe with the 13th pick in the June 1996 NBA Draft — and, really, even before — as a high schooler, Kobe had high expectations heaped on him.
Those pressures exploded less than a month later when the Hornets traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
And, just like that, the Lakers had their new face of the franchise, the “kid” who was going to lead them back to the top of the NBA heap.
Not only that, but young Kobe was being hailed as the “Next Michael Jordan,” an impossible yoke to bear that he nevertheless handled with great aplomb while doing little to dispel the idea with his play on the court — increased minutes and scoring averages over his first several seasons, and an NBA title after his third.
From there, it was just up, up, up, with two scoring titles and four more championships to accompany his 18 All-Star and 15 All-NBA selections.
And, sure, there were controversies and even criminal problems along the way, from Kobe’s not-so-friendly banter with teammate Shaquille O’Neal to his much publicized sexual assault incident in a Colorado hotel room.
Through it all, though, Kobe continued his march toward the Hall of Fame and managed to carve out his own unique spotlight in the sport, separate and different from Jordan’s, O’Neal’s, LeBron James’, and everyone else’s.
Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season as a lifetime Laker (draft notwithstanding), which of course helped to elevate his profile in the game and hobby even further.
Collectors sure took note, and we made his first cards in the 1996-97 sets like Topps, Bowman, Flair, and Upper Deck among the hottest of all hoops cards right from the tip, and, just like the man himself, we — and his cards — never looked back.
Today, Kobe Bryant rookies remain among the hottest of all basketball cards, and you can get an eyeful anytime you want to over on eBay.
To help whet your appetite for that show, then, here are the hottest, most watched Kobe Bryant rookie cards on eBay right now. It’s a fun list to watch, and updated every few minutes … so check back often!
(NOTE: The section below contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the card shown.)

1996-97 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion #P52 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF PSA 8.5
![]() | Watchers: 127 # of Bids: 33Current Bid: $1308 Auction Ends: 31-Jan-2023 04:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996-97 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant Rookie Card RC #138 PSA 9 Lakers MINT
![]() | Watchers: 113 # of Bids: 29Current Bid: $789 Auction Ends: 31-Jan-2023 03:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996 UD3 Kobe Bryant #19 Rookie Card PSA 10 GEM MINT
![]() | Watchers: 87 # of Bids: 45Current Bid: $224.5 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 05:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2020 PANINI PRIZM DISCO PRIZM JOE BURROW #307 ROOKIE CARD PSA 10 ORANGE Bengals
![]() | Watchers: 85 # of Bids: 27Current Bid: $510 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 00:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2003 Bowman GOLD Lebron James Rookie Card #123 Gold Holo Cavs/Lakers RC
![]() | Watchers: 83 # of Bids: 28Current Bid: $262 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 03:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE IMMACULATE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LUKA DONCIC PRIZM 1/1 PSA RC SPORTS CARD LOT
![]() | Watchers: 78 # of Bids: 44Current Bid: $300 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
🔥 1996-97 Kobe Bryant Topps NBA 50th Anniversary Foil SP Card #138 RC Rookie 🔥
![]() | Watchers: 75 # of Bids: 44Current Bid: $154 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 00:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LEBRON JAMES PRIZM 1/1 SPORTS CARD LOT
![]() | Watchers: 60 # of Bids: 22Current Bid: $294.98 Auction Ends: 29-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love triple jersey card /49 panini immaculate
![]() | Watchers: 58 # of Bids: 28Current Bid: $103.5 Auction Ends: 02-Feb-2023 05:02 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996 Coll. Choice Kobe Bryant #361 (ROOKIE CARD) PSA 10 GEM MINT (RARE: Pop 39)
![]() | Watchers: 58 # of Bids: 29Current Bid: $26 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 03:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
2020 PANINI DONRUSS OPTIC HOLO PRIZM JOE BURROW #151 ROOKIE CARD PSA 10
![]() | Watchers: 57 # of Bids: 8Current Bid: $640 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
🔥 1996-97 Kobe Bryant Fleer Metal Cyber-Metal Card 5 of 20 RC Rookie 🔥
![]() | Watchers: 55 # of Bids: 11Current Bid: $26 Auction Ends: 29-Jan-2023 23:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1997 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signers Auto Kobe Bryant Joe Smith On Card Autographs
![]() | Watchers: 54 # of Bids: 19Current Bid: $157.5 Auction Ends: 02-Feb-2023 01:02 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO PRIZM CHRONICLES TOM BRADY SP SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT
![]() | Watchers: 53 # of Bids: 31Current Bid: $280 Auction Ends: 31-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996 Score Board Red Kobe Bryant RC Rookie Signed AUTO /390 PSA/DNA PSA 9
![]() | Watchers: 52 # of Bids: 23Current Bid: $1580 Auction Ends: 07-Feb-2023 04:02 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO JOSH ALLEN PRIZM PSA SPORTS CARD LOT
![]() | Watchers: 52 # of Bids: 36Current Bid: $137.5 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE IMMACULATE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LAMELO BALL PRIZM PSA RC RPA SPORTS CARD LOT
![]() | Watchers: 51 # of Bids: 32Current Bid: $307 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996 Topps #138 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie Gem Mint PSA 10
![]() | Watchers: 48 # of Bids: 16Current Bid: $700 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 04:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996/97 topps kobe bryant rookie card 138 psa 10
![]() | Watchers: 48 # of Bids: 37Current Bid: $715 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 20:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE IMMACULATE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LEBRON JAMES PRIZM SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT
![]() | Watchers: 46 # of Bids: 32Current Bid: $338 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH RPA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT
![]() | Watchers: 45 # of Bids: 31Current Bid: $237.5 Auction Ends: 29-Jan-2023 04:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996-97 Skybox E-X2000 - #30 Kobe Bryant (RC) Rookie 🔥Sharp Corners Centered
![]() | Watchers: 44 # of Bids: 4Current Bid: $83 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 14:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1988-89 Fleer DENNIS RODMAN ROOKIE CARD No. 43 Pistons RC HOF
![]() | Watchers: 43 # of Bids: 18Current Bid: $17 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 03:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
1996-97 Topps Finest Kobe Bryant RC w/Coating #74 PSA 10 GEM MINT
![]() | Watchers: 43 # of Bids: 29Current Bid: $440 Auction Ends: 30-Jan-2023 05:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
HUGE 5000+ ROOKIE CHRONICLES PRIZM SELECT OPTIC SP RC SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT
![]() | Watchers: 40 # of Bids: 25Current Bid: $252.52 Auction Ends: 31-Jan-2023 02:01 See full listing on eBay (affiliate link) |
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