The jerseys with which Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant debuted will be auctioned

The British company Sotheby’s, although legally based in the United States, announced the auction of the jerseys of two NBA legends, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The attire of these players is among the most desired in the collector's world, which could mean that bidding and sales records might be broken.

Both jerseys were used only in their respective debuts in the world's most prestigious basketball tournament. This is why they are considered extremely rare and represent a unique opportunity for the most passionate and wealthy collectors, as the initial combined price of the garments would be 20 million dollars.

The auction house announced that both jerseys will be offered individually next month. Meanwhile, they can be seen in a public exhibition in New York starting March 21.

"The first NBA jerseys of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are enduring symbols of the ambition, skill, and willpower that defined their legendary careers," Brahm Wachter, director of modern collectibles at the auction house, told CNN.

Michael Jordan's jersey:

Air Jordan made his professional debut with the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 preseason, more precisely on October 5 in Peoria, Illinois, with his iconic number 23 on his back. The jersey he wore that day was used again in the next two games before he switched to a new uniform in the regular season.

The authenticity of this jersey was confirmed by MeiGray, one of the leading verifiers of sports memorabilia, making it extremely special, as it is the first jersey worn by the basketball GOAT. To verify it, the uniform underwent a photo-matching analysis, a process of comparison with high-resolution images and videos, which allowed the identification of unique wear marks and patterns.

In addition, the number 23 jersey was reused for Jordan to wear. If you look closely at the name and number area, you can see the names and numbers of other players who wore it, reinforcing its authenticity.

In relation to this, Sotheby’s highlighted that very few jerseys have been confirmed as genuine by MeiGray, only four, and considered those worn by Jordan to be true "unicorns" of collecting.

Michael Jordan's number 23 uniform will be auctioned between March 12 and 26.

Kobe Bryant's jersey:

Like Jordan, Black Mamba wore the Los Angeles Lakers jersey for the first time on October 16, 1996 in a preseason game. He would then wear it again in his regular season debut on November 3 of that same year and would be photographed during NBA Media Day.

While he is far from what Michael was, Kobe is undoubtedly one of the players who left his mark on the NBA, earning 5 rings and 2 Finals MVP awards, among other distinctions. The jersey of a basketball player of this caliber is undoubtedly very valuable.

His number 8 uniform also underwent the photo-matching process, confirming that it was used in at least 7 games in the 96-97 season, and will be auctioned between April 10 and 24.