Kobe Bryant rookie cards have been hobby royalty for decades, and his untimely death in January of 2020 only magnified his stature among collectors.

From the moment the Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe with the 13th pick in the June 1996 NBA Draft — and, really, even before — as a high schooler, Kobe had high expectations heaped on him.

Those pressures exploded less than a month later when the Hornets traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.

And, just like that, the Lakers had their new face of the franchise, the “kid” who was going to lead them back to the top of the NBA heap.

Not only that, but young Kobe was being hailed as the “Next Michael Jordan,” an impossible yoke to bear that he nevertheless handled with great aplomb while doing little to dispel the idea with his play on the court — increased minutes and scoring averages over his first several seasons, and an NBA title after his third.

From there, it was just up, up, up, with two scoring titles and four more championships to accompany his 18 All-Star and 15 All-NBA selections.

And, sure, there were controversies and even criminal problems along the way, from Kobe’s not-so-friendly banter with teammate Shaquille O’Neal to his much publicized sexual assault incident in a Colorado hotel room.

Through it all, though, Kobe continued his march toward the Hall of Fame and managed to carve out his own unique spotlight in the sport, separate and different from Jordan’s, O’Neal’s, LeBron James’, and everyone else’s.

Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season as a lifetime Laker (draft notwithstanding), which of course helped to elevate his profile in the game and hobby even further.

Collectors sure took note, and we made his first cards in the 1996-97 sets like Topps, Bowman, Flair, and Upper Deck among the hottest of all hoops cards right from the tip, and, just like the man himself, we — and his cards — never looked back.

Today, Kobe Bryant rookies remain among the hottest of all basketball cards, and you can get an eyeful anytime you want to over on eBay.

To help whet your appetite for that show, then, here are the hottest, most watched Kobe Bryant rookie cards on eBay right now. It’s a fun list to watch, and updated every few minutes … so check back often!

(NOTE: The section below contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the card shown.)

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1996 Skybox E-X2000 Credentials #30 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF /499 PSA

Watchers: 107  
# of Bids: 26
Current Bid: $3400
Auction Ends: 30-Mar-2023 02:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)

1996 FLAIR SHOWCASE #31 ROW 0 KOBE BRYANT RC PSA 10 POP 1/68 Mamba 5 Time Champ

Watchers: 106  
# of Bids: 34
Current Bid: $1580
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 02:03
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1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant Rookie Card RC High Grade Possible 9.0 10

Watchers: 84  
# of Bids: 32
Current Bid: $570
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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1996-97 Flair Showcase - Row 0 Kobe Bryant (RC) BGS 9.5 (w/10) True Gem Mint+ 

Watchers: 74  
# of Bids: 23
Current Bid: $1040
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 16:03
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HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LEBRON JAMES PRIZM RPA SPORTS CARD LOT

Watchers: 69  
# of Bids: 43
Current Bid: $330
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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2000-01 KOBE BRYANT Upper Deck Pros & Prospects Signed Auto Game Worn Patch Card

Watchers: 65  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $910
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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1996-97 Fleer Metal Precious Metal #181 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF SGC 9.5

Watchers: 55  
# of Bids: 22
Current Bid: $1225
Auction Ends: 30-Mar-2023 02:03
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH RPA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 54  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $77.59
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 04:03
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1996-97 Topps Draft Pick Redemption Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF SGC 9.5

Watchers: 52  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $256
Auction Ends: 30-Mar-2023 02:03
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT 200

Watchers: 47  
# of Bids: 24
Current Bid: $86
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 00:03
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KOBE BRYANT 1996/97 TOPPS #138 RC ROOKIE CARD LOS ANGELES LAKERS PSA 10 GEM MINT

Watchers: 46  
# of Bids: 36
Current Bid: $464
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 02:03
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1996 Topps NBA 50 Basketball 138 Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Graded PSA 9 MINT

Watchers: 45  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $500.01
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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800+ VINTAGE PSA GAME USED GU JERSEY INSERT ROOKIE RC SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 43  
# of Bids: 13
Current Bid: $320
Auction Ends: 30-Mar-2023 00:03
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Lot Of 18 Kobe Bryant Basketball Cards Rookie Insert Jordan No Reserve

Watchers: 42  
# of Bids: 11
Current Bid: $43
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 00:03
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT 200

Watchers: 42  
# of Bids: 49
Current Bid: $132.5
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 02:03
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Lot Of 12 Kobe Bryant 1996 Rookie Cards Topps Skybox Fleer No Reserve

Watchers: 39  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $102.5
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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1996 Ultra Kobe Bryant PSA 9 Rookie Card

Watchers: 38  
# of Bids: 9
Current Bid: $42
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 03:03
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HUGE 7200+prizm Sports Cards lot PATCH/AUTO/ROOKIE KOBE JORDAN 2000+inserts

Watchers: 32  
# of Bids: 16
Current Bid: $175.5
Auction Ends: 29-Mar-2023 17:03
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1996 Upper Deck #58 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie HOF PSA 10 GEM MINT

Watchers: 31  
# of Bids: 23
Current Bid: $177.5
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 02:03
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1996-97 NBA Hoops Grant Hill's All-Rookie Team #3 Kobe Bryant RC HOF PSA 6

Watchers: 29  
# of Bids: 12
Current Bid: $81
Auction Ends: 30-Mar-2023 01:03
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1996 Bowman's Best Rookie #R23 Kobe Bryant RC Rookie PSA 10 Gem Mint

Watchers: 28  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $350
Auction Ends: 25-Mar-2023 16:03
See full listing on eBay (affiliate link)