Signed by the legendary cager himself, the item is only one of 10 basketballs in the world that carries his signature
The late Kobe Bryant may have left the scene more than three years ago, but the revered cager’s spirit continues to live on in the items he left behind, including one of 10 basketballs in the world, which was up for auction during last night’s FIBA gala charity auction at The Peninsula Manila.
Before the evening was over, the rare memento scored a whopping $20,000 (around P1.1 million), as one lucky and determined collector outbid his rivals from the world over for possession of the ball. Held at the hotel’s grand lobby, under the iconic brass sculpture of the late National Artist Napoleon Abueva, the private auction was spearheaded by avid sports fan Manuel “Manny” V. Pangilinan, chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., PLDT, and Philex Mining Corp., Al Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT, and Julie Carceller, vice president of PLDT. PeopleAsia was the only media outfit to be invited to the private event.
FIBA, the French acronym of The International Basketball Federation, Basketball World Cup 2023 is the biggest sporting event to happen in basketball-crazy Philippines, post-pandemic. For several weeks now, basketball fever has spread all over the country in what can only be dubbed as a present-day “thrilla in Manila.” — Joanne Rae Ramirez
