Spectacular Kobe Bryant signed and “#33” inscribed Lower Merion High School magazine photo with a perfect PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10 grade! This 8x11-inch magazine cut-out has been encapsulated in a PSA jumbo holder and features a large and super early (dating to 1996) Kobe signature at center. Kobe signed in a bold blue permanent marker to give it immaculate eye appeal. The magazine title “HIGHER” also features the text “College or NBA. NBA or College” denoting that Bryant had an important decision to make in the near future. It seems that Kobe chose the right path, going directly to the NBA and having a prosperous 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. A truly one-of-a-kind Kobe Bryant autographed piece of memorabilia with the highest possible autograph rating by PSA/DNA.
Provenance: It was in the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio, in the late 1960s that an 8-year-old boy named Tim Gallagher began what would turn into a lifelong pursuit to acquire as many autographs of famous athletes as possible. Half a century later, his collection across multiple sports (mostly basketball, baseball and football) had become one of the most comprehensive and diverse ever documented. The Dayton Journal Herald (2/5/1974) first reported on the then 15-year-old’s passionate hobby. Tim grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same high school as the Paxson brothers, Jim and John, whose success in college and the NBA would give him access to many stars and Hall of Famers. When he was 46, the Dayton Daily News (7/3/2005) did a feature story about Tim’s collection, which by then had grown to 20,000 plus signatures. Early on most of these came through the mail as he would write athletes (i.e. Bill Walton at UCLA) with self-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes. When possible, he would track down players in person at their team hotels, for example, bringing their photo or trading card to sign. As he settled into his own business career, Tim eventually had the financial means, combined with his connections, to attend major sporting events like the Final Four or charity golf tournaments and get directly in front of dozens of big names. In 2015, Gallagher sold several thousand baseball autographs through a different auction house. But basketball was always his favorite sport, encompassing a vast majority of the collection with a list of legends (Mikan, Wilt, Russell, Pistol, Jordan, Kobe, etc.) and near impossible gets (i.e. Hank Gathers, Len Bias) that cannot be topped. This auction marks the first time he has ever sold any of his beloved hardwood signatures.