Mar 19, 2025 - Apr 5, 2025
After winning three straight NBA titles, the Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2002-03 season gunning for their fourth in a row. Led by the one-two punch of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson’s boys made it to the Western Conference Semifinals where they were knocked out in six games by the eventual 2003 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. At 24 years old, Kobe torched the nets and reached 30 points per game for the first time, while filling the stat sheet with career-highs in rebounds (6.9) and steals (2.2) to go along with 5.9 assists each game. He was named 1st Team All-NBA for the second straight season and finished third in league MVP voting.
Offered here is Kobe’s 2002-03 game worn warm-up suit with the jacket and pants both autographed by the Black Mamba himself. Kobe and his Laker teammates wore this Nike all-white style into the 2003-04 season as well. It was sourced directly from the L.A. Lakers Foundation and comes with a May 2004 team letter. Photographic evidence from Resolution Photomatching shows what appears to be possible matches to two January 2003 home games: a 1/5 win vs. Phoenix (31 points, 12 boards & 7 dimes); and a 1/12 win vs. Miami (36 pts. & 4 steals). Stock images are sparse when it comes to game footage of players in their warm-ups.
The white button-up jacket has NBA and Nike logos on the right chest, with the Lakers logo patch sewn on the left chest and Kobe’s signature in black marker just below it. Purple and yellow gold stripes run down the sides of the torso as well as the sleeves. The reverse has “LAKERS” in large gold block letters across the back. Within the collar is proper Lakers/Nike/NBA tagging in Kobe’s size 2XL with a Length +4 hang tag. Inside the left tail inseam are the laundry instructions and “2002-03” year tag. The jacket exhibits heavy pilling on the knit fabric from repeated wear and shows evidence of being washed multiple times.
The accompanying white pants have matching purple and gold stripes down the sides, with NBA and Nike logos sewn on the left thigh and Kobe’s black marker signature just below. On the lower left leg is a Lakers logo patch and “Los Angeles” stitched in purple. Interior tagging indicates size 2XL with a Length +4 hang tag, but the pants appear to have stretched significantly. Baggy was the fashion trend back in the early 2000’s, so perhaps this was how Kobe liked to wear them.
Includes full LOAs from JSA and PSA/DNA for the two Kobe autographs; a letter from the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation on team letterhead; and a letter of opinion (LOO) from Resolution Photomatching.
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