Kobe Bryant Precious Metal Gems Emerald card sells for record $2 million

A 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald where the legendary Kobe Bryant is seen handing out a pass mid-flight while wearing No. 8 jersey went for $2 million.

It's the Black Mamba’s highest-selling card of all time.

While it doesn’t include features that are usually associated with hefty prices, such as an autograph or a swatch of a game-worn jersey, this Metal Universe card is still rare. It's only four out of a hundred, and the first ten cards in the set were the only ones with an emerald pattern, while the other Precious Metal Gem inserts are red.

The card received an 8.5 out of 10 from Beckett Grading Services, tying for the best score that it has ever received. That's lower than those seen in other high-end sales, but the 1997-98 Precious Metal Gems set is a hard grade because of chipping, according to Beckett. But their desirability hasn't diminished.

Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC, pointed out that the Precious Metal Gems variants are arguably the most desired insert card in the entire world that set the tone for the insert market going forward.

He noted that it’s incredibly difficult to find them in any condition because of their delicate nature.

The Bryant card, which was a graded BGS10 Pristine Black Label 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor rookie card and sold for nearly $1.8 million in March 2021, was the previous highest-selling Bryant collectible. It's one of the few times a basketball card has crossed the $2 million mark, with this latest

However, the cost of things has risen during the epidemic. Last year, a Luka Doncic rookie card set a new record when it sold for $4.6 million. A 2003 Exquisite LeBron James Patch Auto rookie card broke the record just a month later when it sold for $5.2 million.

Last summer, an extremely rare Steph Curry rookie card sold for $5.9 million, proving that despite Bryant's lofty buy-in, it fell short of Curry's record.