Kobe Bryant continues to be one of the most popular players to collect. He was always a fan favorite, however for many years his cards were relatively overlooked and very affordable compared to other superstars like Michael Jordan and Lebron James. However, after his tragic passing in early 2020, the demand for his cards skyrocketed.
He entered the league in 1996, and he ultimately played his entire 20 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He made 18 All-Star appearances, won five NBA Championships, and in 2006 set his career high scoring 81 points in a game. He was absolutely one of the best to take the court from the mid 90s through the early 2000s.
Some of the best Kobe Bryant cards are extremely expensive, however he has a ton of great cards that continue to be very affordable. In this post, I highlight 7 of my favorite Kobe cards from my own collection which are attainable for almost any collector!
7 - 2014-15 Panini Prizm #136
2014-15 Panini Prizm Kobe Bryant #136
Let’s start with the most recent card. I’m not a huge Prizm or Chrome guy, but I do like the design of the 2014 Prizm Kobe Bryant card(eBay link).
The image of Kobe in his Lakers yellow jersey really stands out against the silver background of the card. There was only one season of stats on the back, and those stats cover the six games he played in the 2013 season. The 83 points in scored in 2013 was a sharp contrast to the 31,700 he scored in his career up to that point!
6 - 2010-11 Donruss #203
2010-11 Donruss Kobe Bryant #203
Donruss made its basketball debut with this product in the 2010-11 season. It had a big of a retro look and feel with traditional paper card stock and a some kind of “vintage” filter on the photos. It also had a wave across the card which contained the team name that served as a nod to the 1984 baseball design.
I like how Kobe is in mid air, making a behind the back pass in the photo used for this 2010-11 Donruss Kobe Bryant card(eBay link). You should be able to pick one up for less than $5 online or at a local shop or show!
5 - 1996-97 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives #R10
1996-97 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives #R10
Maybe it’s just the nostalgia bias talking, but it seems like the card manufacturers were a bit more creative in the 90s. It’s almost as if actual competition forced them to come up with new designs and printing technologies to differentiate themselves from the others.
Well, this 1996-97 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives insert card (ebay link) of Kobe Bryant is a great example. The card is textured and feels like you are rubbing your finger across the surface of a basketball. It is also a card I prefer to have ungraded. The opportunity to feel this card adds so much, and you just don’t have the same experience holding this one in a graded slab.
Another interesting aspect of the card is the Q&A on the back. It asks him about his desire to star in a movie with Shaq and what helped him prepare to jump from high school to the NBA!
4 - 1996-97 Fleer Metal Cyber Metal #5
1996-97 Fleer Metal Cyber Metal Kobe Brant #5
Let me go ahead and throw in another rookie insert into the mix as the next card.
Fleer Metal was one of my favorite products in the 90s. These Cyber Metal inserts were part of the Series 2 set and fell 1:6 packs. This Kobe card(eBay link) was one that I finally picked up in a collection a couple years ago and was happy to add it to my Kobe rookie binder page.
Some collectors are turned off by the cartoonish robot in the background, but there is something about it I kind of like.
3 - 1999-00 SPx #37
1999-00 SPx Kobe Bryant #37
This 1999-00 SPx Kobe Bryant (eBay link) was another card which came out in the 15 year period where I wasn’t actively collecting. I never opened any packs of these cards. So while the SPx brand was one of the premium releases in the day, by the time I picked this up in a bulk collection a few years ago, it was only worth a few bucks.
The card is printed on premium card stock and has a “rainbow foil” shimmer to it. I love how it has a primary image of Kobe flying through the air mid dunk, along with a secondary image of him standing along the left side of the card. It looks to me like he’s taking a breath before shooting a free throw. That same image is used on the back of the card along side the stat box.
It’s a great card and makes it to #3 on my list!
2 - 2008-09 Topps #24
If Michael Jordan passed the torch to Kobe, then Kobe passed it to Lebron James. This 2008-09 Topps Kobe Bryant card (eBay link) has both of them pictured.
I love almost everything about this card. The intensity of the two superstars pictured in the photo jumps off the card. The Lakers team name is captured in alternating circles of the team colors across the top. The Topps and team logos are in the bottom corners. Finally, Kobe’s entire career stats (up to that season) are captured on the back.
1 - 1998-99 Fleer Ultra #61
1998-99 Fleer Ultra Kobe Bryant #61
Fleer Ultra is another brand that was foundational to my childhood collection. The photo used on this 1998-99 Fleer Ultra Kobe Bryant card (eBay link) is almost perfect. He’s flying through the air as he prepares for a reverse dunk. His legs are tucked just above his name, and the bright purple and gold jersey is set against the pure black background of the stadium shot.
There are no other players in the photo, and at first I thought it may have come from a dunk contest. However, in the bottom left corner you can see what appears to be an official, so this must have come from a game.
I am not the biggest Kobe fan, but I still love to have a few cards of players who had historical significance in the game. Kobe is one of those players. Hopefully, I showed that he has some great cards which you could affordably add to your collection.
Even if these aren’t your thing, there are thousands of other Kobe card to pick up on eBay, Sportlots, or COMC.
Let me know in the comments below if this inspired you to pick up a couple Kobe cards or if you went back and found a different player you wanted to make sure had a place in your collection!
Keep collecting!