As soon as he could, Kobe Bryant ditched the plastic mask.
He couldn't right away. Bryant needed it to protect his broken nose and relieve pain after suffering a concussion during the 2012 NBA All-Star game. Even if he scored 342 points through 11 games while wearing the gear, Bryant sounded eager to ditch it after describing wearing the mask as "like a sauna on my face."
Bryant then joked he would donate it to "see if anybody is dumb enough to buy that sweaty mask." Well, there's been 48 so-called "dumb" Bryant fans who have placed bids on eBay. The current bidding sits at $3,250 with five days remaining, and 100% of the proceeds will go toward the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation's efforts to reduce homelessness in Los Angeles.
The mask would make for a great Halloween costume. But just don't expect it to transform anyone into suddenly scoring at Bryant's prolific rate. Make sure to clean it too.
--Mark Medina
