Los Angeles Lakers Memorabilia Buying Guide

By Sean J. O'Rourke

There are few franchises in sports that can even come close to being mentioned in the same sentence with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are the winningest team in the history of the NBA and have appeared in more NBA Finals than any other franchise. Since their move to Los Angeles from Minnesota, where they coined the nickname 'Lakers' from the Minnesota state nickname, the franchise has become one of the most popular and successful organizations in all of sports. Superstars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have donned the famous yellow and purple, not to mention win NBA Championships. During the 1980's under legendary head coach Pat Riley, the Lakers went on to five NBA Championships, winning three against Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and the arch-rival Boston Celtics. All in all, the Lakers appeared in the NBA Finals an unbelievable eight times during the 1980s.

The team would field another batch of superstars starting in 1996 with the off-season acquisition of center Shaquille O'Neal and the draft rights to then-rookie Kobe Bryant. The signing of legendary head coach Phil Jackson in 1999 would produce huge dividends for the team as they went on to win three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000-2002.  After O'Neal's departure to the Miami Heat, Kobe Bryant continued to emerge into a once-in-a-lifetime player, being mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan, who is all but the consensus for the greatest player to ever play basketball. With a future Hall of Famer in Bryant teamed with a talented supporting cast, the Lakers are poised to dethrone the San Antonio Spurs as the championship dynasty to be remembered from this decade.

When you talk about the most sought-after signatures in sports, both Kareem Abdual Jabbar and Earvin "Magic" Johnson naturally enter the conversation. Given his current status as the NBA's best player, you can add Los Angeles Laker superstar Kobe Bryant to that list. Bryant is only 29 years old and already has collected three NBA Championships.

Destined to be mentioned with the likes of Jordan, Robertson and Erving as the NBA's all-time greatest, the demand for genuine Bryant merchandise, especially autographed merchandise, is paramount with serious collectors.  Here are five items we think you should have in your Los Angeles Lakers collection. 

• AUTOGRAPHED KOBE BRYANT JERSEY: Kobe Bryant will go down in NBA history as one of the greatest to ever play the game. This 3-Time NBA Champion has been without a doubt the most critical and electrifying player in the NBA since becoming the first player to ever be drafted out of high school in 1996 at age 17. Here's a chance to own not only a great product but a great investment, with Kobe's #24 jersey in Lakers' home yellow hand signed by Bryant himself. The jersey is enclosed safely in a high-quality archival box that can be opened for display.

• KOBE BRYANT COLLAGE: Kobe Bryant is one of, in not the all around best players in the NBA. His defense is often overshadowed by his monster offensive ability. Bryant, for his career, averages over 24 points a game and is the two-time reigning NBA Scoring Champion. That said, it's hard to put into words the unbelievable talent that Bryant possesses. From March 16th through March 23rd, 2007, a span of four games, Bryant became only the second player in NBA history to score 50 points or more in four consecutive games. That amazing feat is captured here in this framed collage illustrating Bryant during his historic stretch, signed by the 3-Time NBA Champion himself. This is a must have collectible for any fan of Kobe, the Lakers or the NBA.

• SIGNED MAGIC JOHNSON FLOOR PIECE: This is a chance to own an absolutely brilliant piece of sports history.  This is a piece of the hardwood floor from the original Los Angeles Forum in downtown Los Angeles, California hand-signed by Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Magic is one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Duringhis Hall of Fame career, Magic participated in an incredible 9 NBA Finals series, often squaring off with fierce rival and friend Larry Bird. The 5-time NBA Champion also went was selected the NBA's Most Valuable Player 3 times, along with 12 appearances in the NBA's All-Star Game. In 2002, Magic was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. This floor piece for which Magic and Bird often did battle is handsigned by Earvin "Magic Johnson, himself, adding "HOF 2002" in reference to the induction in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

• KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR AND MAGIC JOHNSON DUAL AUTOGRAPHED BASKETBALL: It's hard to fit more star power onto one collectible with this Spalding basketball hand-signed by 5-time NBA Champion Earvin "Magic"Johnson and the NBA's all-time scoring leader, Kareem Abdual Jabbar. This basketball is the perfect centerpiece for any-sized collection, be it in your sports room or the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachussetts.

• WILT CHAMBERLAIN AND KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR DUAL SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH: Own a timeless 16x20"photograph of two of the greatest players in basketball history: Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. This photo was taken during the 1970 season as Abdul Jabbar defends a sky hook by Chamberlain. Abdul Jabbar would play a record 20 years in the NBA, becoming the league's all-time leading scorer while winning 5 NBA Championships. Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 2 NBA Championships and 4 Most Valuable Player awards.

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