Cryptograph, a digital collectibles company, recently auctioned a series of eight never-before-seen images of Kobe Bryant that will be sold as non-fungible tokens, popularly known as NFTs. The photos were taken by photographer Davis Factor as part of a 1999 shoot at an abandoned warehouse in downtown L.A.
“This shoot is special because you don’t see him in a jersey. He’s Kobe Bean Bryant,” Tommy Alastra, the co-founder of Cryptograph, explained. “You can see the father, the son, the husband come out. It’s just him, raw, in everyday Kobe. It’s special… They’re really quite beautiful.”
In a nod to Kobe’s jersey number, the auction started August 24 at 1 p.m. EST and ran on the website for 72 hours. The proceeds will be donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in memory of Kobe and Gianna Bryant that is dedicated to “helping underserved athletes and young women in sports.”
