David Kohler is a renowned collector with a treasure trove of Los Angeles Lakers memorabilia.
He once owned the wrist cast that Kobe Bryant wore when he broke his arm before entering the NBA in 1996, the glasses that the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used back then, and the basketball rim that LeBron James shot the ball through to reach the 40,000-point mark in the NBA last season.
So what is Kohler’s latest collectible? Interestingly enough, it involves a player who hasn’t even played a single regular season game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Recently, Bronny James’ jersey from the first Summer League match on July 13, 2024 was successfully auctioned by David Kohler, becoming the newest item in the “Lakers temple” that he owns at his home.
The collector spent 38,400 USD, equivalent to more than 950 million VND, at Sotheby’s auction house to own the first jersey of LeBron James’ eldest son.
Bronny James was selected by the Lakers with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in late June. More than 2 weeks later, the 19-year-old had his first match in purple and gold at the annual summer tournament – NBA Summer League.
“It’s a fun item that I wanted to own. It completes my personal Lakers collection ,” David Kohler told The Times about his decision to auction Bronny’s jersey.
“There are many collectors who buy these items to resell, hoping that they will increase in value in the future. To me, these are historical items, not just for their monetary value.
People often talk about collecting as a form of long-term investment. But I don’t see these as investments, I see them as memories with special sentimental value.
David Kohler is the founder and current chairman of SCP Auctions, a consignment and auction house for memorabilia, especially sports-related items.
In addition to running his business, Mr. Kohler has been an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan since he was a child. With both financial means and connections to major auction houses around the world, David Kohler has been collecting special items related to the Lakers for about 20 years.
When the number of collectibles became too large, Mr. Kohler decided to build a “Lakers Shrine” with 100% items related to the purple and gold team.
Appearing in the “temple” are hundreds of items that were used during matches by the club’s top stars in history, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James…
In addition, Mr. Kohler also collects some interesting items such as courtside seats from important matches, pieces of the Staples Center stadium floor, the team’s medical suitcase or, as mentioned above, the cast that Kobe Bryant used to put on his left arm, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s glasses…
Now, David Kohler is aiming for the next set of items, which is a pair of LeBron James and his father’s jerseys when the two Lakers players officially take the field together in the Regular Season next season.
Speaking more about this goal, Mr. Kohler said: “There are things that we want to own, have more than enough money but still cannot buy. Sometimes you need to be lucky and always be ready.
The Lakers are a team with a lot of history and a lot of history. There are a lot of things that you have to go to great lengths to find and buy or bid on. That’s what I find so interesting about this collectible game.”
