In the 1990s, Sports Illustrated (SI) began adding cards to their magazines to increase sales and delight fans. On November 3, 1996, Kobe Bryant debuted with the Lakers. About three months later, SI released its February 1997 issue of SI for Kids, which featured a cover with Jackie Robinson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Emmitt Smith, and Michael Jordan. The issue offered a panel of rookie cards on the inside that included Kerry Kittles, Kobe Bryant, Marcus Camby, and Allen Iverson. Subscribers could remove the cards by tearing them along the bottom to separate them from the magazine and then tearing the pre-perforated edges to separate each card. PSA has graded hundreds of examples of the card, and only this example has earned a PSA 10. The card shows Kobe in the process of one of his acrobatic moves as fans look on. The flip side reminds collectors that the Merion High School star made his NBA debut the prior year at 18. A rare Kobe rookie in high grade, this card traces its roots to the most popular magazine of the era and the start of Kobemania.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third party grader's online database and is active as of 10/4/2023
