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.)

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1996-97 Topps Kobe Bryant Rookie Card RC #138 PSA 10 GEM MINT Los Angeles Lakers

Watchers: 86  
# of Bids: 52
Current Bid: $635
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
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Kobe Bryant RC PSA 10 1996-97 Topps 1996 #138 Rookie Los Angeles Lakers Card

Watchers: 66  
# of Bids: 26
Current Bid: $615
Auction Ends: 07-Dec-2023 02:12
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO PRIZM OPTIC IMMACULATE SSP RPA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 56  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $180
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 02:12
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KOBE BRYANT 🏀🔥 Basketball Card Lot (10 Cards) With Rookies LAKERS

Watchers: 50  
# of Bids: 25
Current Bid: $72
Auction Ends: 08-Dec-2023 23:12
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1996-97 UD Collector's Choice #267 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF AUTO PSA 6 PSA/DNA

Watchers: 48  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $1525
Auction Ends: 12-Dec-2023 04:12
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO PRIZM CHRONICLES OPTIC SSP PSA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 44  
# of Bids: 25
Current Bid: $81
Auction Ends: 09-Dec-2023 02:12
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KOBE BRYANT LARGE 28 CARD LOT - HGA AND PSA GRADED, ROOKIE, RC, INSERT, BASE

Watchers: 42  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $100
Auction Ends: 09-Dec-2023 00:12
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HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO SSP RC RPA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 37  
# of Bids: 8
Current Bid: $36
Auction Ends: 07-Dec-2023 02:12
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH 222 SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 26  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $41
Auction Ends: 10-Dec-2023 23:12
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1996-97 TOPPS STADIUM CLUB KOBE BRYANT RC RARE 3D HOLO FOIL LAKERS ROOKIE PSA 8!

Watchers: 25  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $11
Auction Ends: 11-Dec-2023 02:12
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1996 Topps CHROME Kobe Bryant #138 PSA 7 Rookie Card

Watchers: 24  
# of Bids: 12
Current Bid: $405.34
Auction Ends: 09-Dec-2023 19:12
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Kobe Bryant Shane Battier RC 01-02 UD Inspirations BGS 8.5 AUTO /275 ON CARD!!!

Watchers: 24  
# of Bids: 4
Current Bid: $5.5
Auction Ends: 10-Dec-2023 22:12
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1996 Bowman's Best Kobe Bryant RC Rookie #R23 PSA 9

Watchers: 23  
# of Bids: 8
Current Bid: $27
Auction Ends: 07-Dec-2023 02:12
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1996 Skybox E-X2000 Kobe Bryant #30 Rookie Card LA Lakers PSA 6

Watchers: 22  
# of Bids: 20
Current Bid: $61
Auction Ends: 11-Dec-2023 02:12
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HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO TOM BRADY SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 22  
# of Bids: 12
Current Bid: $36
Auction Ends: 12-Dec-2023 02:12
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1997 Topps Chrome #171 Kobe Bryant Card PSA 9 MINT

Watchers: 21  
# of Bids: 5
Current Bid: $46
Auction Ends: 10-Dec-2023 18:12
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1996-97 Topps Kobe Bryant Rookie Card RC #138 Lakers

Watchers: 21  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $32
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
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1996-97 Upper Deck Series 1 Basketball Factory Sealed 3 Pack Lot KOBE BRYANT RC

Watchers: 20  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $22
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
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1996 97 FLEER METAL KOBE BRYANT #181 ROOKIE CARD LAKERS RC PSA 9 MINT

Watchers: 19  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $41
Auction Ends: 08-Dec-2023 02:12
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1996 Collectors Choice #LA2 Lakers Team Set Kobe Bryant RC PSA 10 GEM MINT HOF

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 19
Current Bid: $167.5
Auction Ends: 07-Dec-2023 01:12
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1996-97 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant Refractor RC RP Rookie Card #138 Lakers HOF

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $76
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 01:12
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HUGE Binder 239 CARDS Football Baseball Basketball Instant Collection High Value

Watchers: 18  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $85
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
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1996-97 Topps Stadium Club - Rookies Series 2 #R9 Kobe Bryant (RC)

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 5
Current Bid: $3.25
Auction Ends: 07-Dec-2023 01:12
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1996-97 NBA Hoops Kobe Bryant Rookie Card RC #281 ECS 10 GEM MINT Lakers

Watchers: 17  
# of Bids: 9
Current Bid: $5.5
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
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1996-97 Upper Deck UD3 Kobe Bryant Hardwood Prospects Rookie Card RC #19 Lakers

Watchers: 16  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $20
Auction Ends: 06-Dec-2023 03:12
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)