BGS subgrades: Centering 9.5 · Corners 9 · Edges 9.5 · Surface 9.5
This 1996 Fleer Metal Kobe Bryant Rookie #181 has earned a BGS 9.5 Gem Mint grade. Metal’s textured design is condition-sensitive, which makes gem mint copies harder to find. The 1996 rookie class is one of the most celebrated in basketball history, and Kobe’s first-year cards remain among the most actively collected modern basketball cards.
Kobe Bryant went straight from Lower Merion High School to the 1996 NBA Draft, selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent all 20 seasons. He won five NBA championships, the 2008 MVP, two Finals MVPs, and 18 All-Star selections. Bryant is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (HOF) inductee (2020).
