A Los Angeles Lakers jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his only MVP season between 2007 and 2008 fetched 5.8 million dollars at auction on Thursday, making it the second most expensive basketball jersey ever sold, auction house Sotheby's said.

Michael Jordan's jersey from the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals holds the record for the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia in history, after selling for more than 10 million dollars in September, also through Sotheby's.

Bryant, an 18-time All Star and five-time NBA champion, died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 that also killed his daughter and seven other people.

The jersey was signed by Bryant and worn by him in 25 of his 82 games that season, including six playoff games, says Sotheby's, quoted by Reuters.

"The image of Kobe wearing this particular jersey during the NBA playoffs has penetrated popular culture, reprinted in murals, books, newspapers," said Brahm Wachter, head of street fashion and modern collectibles at Sotheby's.

"[The jersey] has become a symbol of his fierce determination and passion that has resonated with audiences around the world." (Reuters)