Originally published by LakersNation.com
Cryptocurrency trader “westcoastnft” has been buying and selling Bitcoin since 2014. More recently, he has been collecting NFT (non-fungible tokens) digital art, with his first purchase being a Kobe Bryant piece titled “Forever Mamba” through Nifty Gateway.
The artwork, created by artist Boss Logic, was a tribute to Bryant, who tragically passed away last year in a helicopter crash. In the portrait, Bryant is taking one of his patented jump shots with a halo over his head and appears to be floating in a cloud that’s continuously moving behind him.
Artwork drops on Nifty Gateway only last a few minutes so potential buyers must be ready to act quickly. Only 429 editions of the Forever Mamba artwork were sold.
A huge Los Angeles Lakers fan from Canada, westcoastnft paid $824 for the Forever Mamba piece. The price was a nod to the 8 and 24 jersey numbers Bryant wore during his NBA career.
Westcoastnft planned to purchase several editions of the artwork, but said he could only afford the one. It nonetheless turned out to be a wise investment as he has received several offers from collectors trying to buy the piece for anywhere between $15,000-$25,000.
While that would represent a strong return on investment, westcoastnft does not plan to sell the Forever Mamba piece at this time. In fact, he doesn’t’ know if there is a price that would make him comfortable parting with the artwork even later down the road.
Bryant is one of the most beloved players in NBA history and there is growing support that the league should change its logo to the Lakers icon.
NBA Top Shot growing in popularity
The NFT digital art market has exploded in recent months as crypto investors look to enter the space. Perhaps the best example of this is how popular NBA Top Shot has become in recent weeks.
The website, which launched last October, allows fans to buy virtual cards with highlights attached to them. The cards are sold through blockchain technology, and some have already been scooped up for six-figure prices.
A rare LeBron James card minted only 49 times that shows him dunking over Nemanja Bjelica was recently purchased by NBA Top Shot user “jesse” for $208,000. As of last Wednesday, the website had more than 350,000 active users and 100,000 purchasing users.
NBA Top Shot raked in more than $37 million in sales over a 24-hour period last Monday, with actual players expressing interest in buying their own virtual cards as well.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
Cryptocurrency trader “westcoastnft” has been buying and selling Bitcoin since 2014. More recently, he has been collecting NFT (non-fungible tokens) digital art, with his first purchase being a Kobe Bryant piece titled “Forever Mamba” through Nifty Gateway.
The artwork, created by artist Boss Logic, was a tribute to Bryant, who tragically passed away last year in a helicopter crash. In the portrait, Bryant is taking one of his patented jump shots with a halo over his head and appears to be floating in a cloud that’s continuously moving behind him.
Artwork drops on Nifty Gateway only last a few minutes so potential buyers must be ready to act quickly. Only 429 editions of the Forever Mamba artwork were sold.
A huge Los Angeles Lakers fan from Canada, westcoastnft paid $824 for the Forever Mamba piece. The price was a nod to the 8 and 24 jersey numbers Bryant wore during his NBA career.
Westcoastnft planned to purchase several editions of the artwork, but said he could only afford the one. It nonetheless turned out to be a wise investment as he has received several offers from collectors trying to buy the piece for anywhere between $15,000-$25,000.
While that would represent a strong return on investment, westcoastnft does not plan to sell the Forever Mamba piece at this time. In fact, he doesn’t’ know if there is a price that would make him comfortable parting with the artwork even later down the road.
Bryant is one of the most beloved players in NBA history and there is growing support that the league should change its logo to the Lakers icon.
NBA Top Shot growing in popularity
The NFT digital art market has exploded in recent months as crypto investors look to enter the space. Perhaps the best example of this is how popular NBA Top Shot has become in recent weeks.
The website, which launched last October, allows fans to buy virtual cards with highlights attached to them. The cards are sold through blockchain technology, and some have already been scooped up for six-figure prices.
A rare LeBron James card minted only 49 times that shows him dunking over Nemanja Bjelica was recently purchased by NBA Top Shot user “jesse” for $208,000. As of last Wednesday, the website had more than 350,000 active users and 100,000 purchasing users.
NBA Top Shot raked in more than $37 million in sales over a 24-hour period last Monday, with actual players expressing interest in buying their own virtual cards as well.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!