The 1996 NBA Draft featured an impressive collection of talent and one of the most notable to enter the league at the same time, with Hall of Fame names such as Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, and Steve Nash. 

Kobe Bryant, specifically, commanded a lot of buzz after being drafted 13th by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joining the NBA directly after his high school playing days left a lot of room for criticism, but also created an aura and buzz around his name and NBA potential. The start of his Hall of Fame career began at the Pyramid, on campus at Long Beach State University, where the Los Angeles Lakers played their first Summer League game against the Detroit Pistons on July 13, 1996. Roughly 5,000 in attendance for Saturday's matinee game would come to witness the attraction of a player who would shape the next two decades of NBA basketball.

Kobe began the outing with some first-game jitters, wearing number 32, with a shaved head and baby face. He would turn it around and finish the game with 27 points, going a near-perfect 18-20 from the free throw line.

Presented in this lot is a Kobe Bryant Summer League Professional Basketball Debut full ticket that has been graded NM 7 by PSA. This remains the highest graded ticket in PSA's Population Report, with only one other example in existence. Adding to the uniqueness of this offering, this is the sole full ticket in PSA's report that was purchased at The Pyramid rather than on Ticketmaster. One can notice that the ticket features Pyramid and Long Beach State marketing throughout.

The ticket remains in excellent condition and is the finest example to come to the public market. The only other PSA graded example (graded AUTHENTIC) sold for $40,800 in 2022.