The scene at the Staples Center last Wednesday was wild. Nearly every man, woman and child was clad in a Kobe Bryant jersey, while purple and gold streamers and balloons lofted down from the rafters as Kobe’s voice echoed throughout the arena: “Mamba out.”
For attending fans who wanted to make some cash off of the experience, the Lakers handed out free shirts and commemorative books, which, at the moment, are going for quite a few pennies on eBay.
But the profiteering no doubt reached its peak this past weekend, when eBay user cardemon_huskers2015 tried to auction off a bag of air from the Mamba’s last matchup. The random Ziploc of oxygen eventually receives bids up to around $15,000, per Sports Illustrated, before eBay got wind of the pseudo-scam and took the listing down.
Classic Hollywood, right? Next thing you know, someone will try to sell a Bryant-themed, diamond-encrusted hat for tens of thousands of dollars.
This isn't the first time a bag of oxygen has brought in the big bids. Air from other trendy events and sites -- like Kanye West concerts and the hipster streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn -- has also been auctioned off for up to roughly $60,000. Do not buy bags of air for money.