Kobe Bryant features on some of the most valuable sports cards released in the 1990s and 2000s, and for good reason.
Aside from having his name said every time I throw something towards a trash can, he’s an NBA legend, and a very collectible name in the hobby.
There’s plenty of brilliant and iconic Black Mamba basketball cards, but I’ve listed 5 of his rarest and most valuable cards that just about every basketball collector would dream of owning, below.
5 Legendary Cards Featuring Kobe Byrant
1. 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Green Kobe Bryant #81
The Precious Metal Gems parallels from late-90s Metal Universe releases are some of my favorite cards ever released – They’re awesome.
The first basketball PMGs, from the 1997-98 Metal Universe set, are the most iconic and recognizable, and they’re still very sought-after today.
Kobe Bryant was obviously one of the stand-out names of the release, and this PMG parallel from that year is one of his most popular and valuable cards ever.
The parallels display a colorful foil design, with 100 numbered copies; The first 10 have emerald green foil, and the remaining 90 are in ruby red.
The rarity and popularity helps make them so expensive to buy these days, if you can find one.
2. 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor Kobe Bryant #138
The 1996 Topps Chrome Refractor Kobe Bryant rookie card is one of the most iconic basketball cards from the 90s, and easily one of the best Kobe cards ever released.
In terms of value, the Refractor parallel of his 1996 Topps Chrome card is the top Kobe Bryant rookie.
The popularity of Topps Chrome helped add to the hype of this card, and the Refractor parallels, which fell 1 in 12 packs, added color and rarity, to make this one a Kobe grail.
Centering issues on the card means top-graded copies are scarce, and that only adds a big premium to those copies.
3. 2006-07 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection All NBA Access Triple Logoman Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant #JJB
I personally don’t think you can hand-pick a better trio of names for a triple Logoman basketball card than we see on this 2006-07 Upper Deck Exquisite All NBA Access Jordan, LeBron and Kobe card.
Talk about star power; Some will argue that these three are the greatest three NBA players of all time – For most, they’re at least in the conversation.
This 1-of-1 gem is a blockbuster card, featuring match-worn NBA Logoman patches from each of the card’s subjects, which adds huge prestige.
The Upper Deck Exquisite Collection brand helps add to the allure and desirability of the card, because it holds a special place in the hearts of many basketball collectors, because it’s widely regarded as one of the most coveted basketball card lines ever issued.
4. 2004-05 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman Autograph LeBron James, Kobe Bryant #LJ-KB
This 2004-05 Upper Deck Exquisite Dual NBA Logoman Auto might not quite have the same level of pedigree as the triple Logoman card from 2006-07, but it’s still an extremely valuable treasure in its own right.
This 1-of-1 beauty features the great Kobe Bryant alongside LeBron James, with match-worn Logoman patches, as well as hard-signed autographs, which makes for a card that I’m sure most basketball collectors dream of owning.
As far as Dual Logoman Autograph cards go, they don’t get much better than this, and it’s without doubt one of the greatest cards featuring Kobe Bryant out there.
5. 1996-97 Skybox E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant #30
I, like many others, look back at the Skybox E-X cards of the 90s with fond memories, and this 1996-97 E-X2000 Credentials parallel card represents one of Kobe Bryant’s top rookies, and one of his most popular cards ever released.
The high-end and innovative card designs of 1996-97 E-X2000 made them a big hit with collectors, and the cards still resonate well today.
It features etched foil borders and an acetate backdrop, with a glossy image of Kobe in action; It’s an awesome looking card.
The Credentials parallel is numbered to 499 copies, which for its era, is considered rare, and the fact it’s a rookie card of Kobe’s helps add to its allure.
What’s The Most Valuable Kobe Bryant Card Ever Released?
If you’re going by record previous public sales prices, then Kobe Bryant’s most valuable basketball card ever is his 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald Green parallel card.
A BGS 8.5 graded copy of it sold for $2 million, back in 2022.
The green version of the card is limited to only 10 numbered copies, and it’s also prone to damage because of the foil design, so copies in a high grade are very, very few and far between, so they hold a big premium.
