Kobe Bryant’s retirement has had an immediate and positive affect on the box office.
The five-time NBA champion announced his retirement Sunday, and the value of resale tickets went up almost instantaneously.
Tickets for the Lakers' trip to Philadelphia to play the 76ers on Monday tripled to $60 minutes after Bryant’s announcement Sunday evening, according to ESPN.com. Bryant is a Philadelphia native and went to high school in the city’s suburbs.
The cheapest tickets for the Lakers' season finale against the Jazz at Staples Center jumped from $125 to $400 after Bryant's announcement, according to ESPN.