One of the most sought-after Kobe Bryant cards ever released has surfaced in a public auction for the first time ever.
The 1997-98 SkyBox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now Kobe Bryant card is currently live with Goldin Auctions, having opened at $100,000.
Skybox’s E-X2001 Essential Credentials parallels are some of the most popular to come out of the 90s. The ultra-rare gem has a print run of only eight copies, and one is finally being sold publicly.
The copy that’s being auctioned is graded a Mint 9 by BGS, which is only bettered by two other copies. All 8 are included in the Beckett population report, with one 8.5 grade, five 9 grades, and two 9.5.
Image: Goldin.co
The 1997-98 SkyBox E-X2001 set features two parallel versions under the Essential Credentials banner: “Future” and “Now.” These parallels reimagine the 80-card base set (excluding checklists) with incredibly low serial numbers for each card.
The “Now” parallels have their serial numbers tied to the player’s card number in the set. So for Kobe, being number 8 in the set means 8 of the “Now” parallel. The “Future” parallels use the opposite numbering scheme – So for example, Grant Hill, whose number 1 in the set, has 1 “Now” card and 80 “Future” cards.
For Bryant, the “Future” parallel has 73 copies, which is still limited, but makes it much easier to find than the elusive “Now” parallel. A PSA 9-graded copy of the “Future” parallel sold for $90,000 in September 2022.
However, this “Now” parallel is significantly rarer, and is expected to sell for far more.
Considering there are no previous sales, estimating the final sales price is challenging, but sales of other cards from the set provide some context.
A Dennis Rodman “Now” parallel, from the same set, fetched $219,600 at auction in December. Rodman’s version is limited to only 5 numbered copies, and the sale was of a PSA 8-graded one. It set a record high for a Dennis Rodman basketball card.
Image: Goldin.co
Additionally, an uncut sheet of the “Now” parallels, featuring 40 cards, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant himself, and Allen Iverson, sold at Goldin for $115,900 in September.
With these benchmarks in mind, and given the rarity of the opportunity to buy one, the Kobe Bryant Essential Credentials Now card, that’s currently up for auction, should comfortably enter at least the mid-six-figure range, which will cement its place among the most valuable modern basketball cards.
