Kobe Mask Auction: Plastic Mask On Sale For Kobe's Charity - Huffington Post

The Masked Mamba is no more, but the memories can live on for one lucky Lakers fan.

Kobe Bryant is auctioning off the protective face mask he wore for eleven games earlier this season, and the proceeds will go to help homeless youth in Los Angeles.

Kobe donned the famous mask after breaking his nose in this year's All-Star game, but the 16-year NBA veteran didn't miss a beat despite the injury. He scored over 31 points a game and recorded his 29,000th career point while wearing the mask.

Since forming the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation in 2011, Kobe has brought money and attention to the issue of youth homelessness in Los Angeles. Between 7,000 and 10,000 of LA's homeless are under the age of 24, a fact that Bryant said "shocked the hell out of me" when he first announced the initiative. He also mentioned that as a father of two, the problem just "hits home more."

As of this writing, the bidding for Kobe's mask is up to $2,550, but there are still six days left in the auction.

Check out photos of Kobe looking fierce in his mask.

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant adjusts his protective mask during their NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. Bryant broke his nose during the All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant adjusts his protective mask prior to the Lakers' NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant adjusts his protective mask prior to their NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant adjusts his protective mask during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Friday, March 2, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, adjusts his protective mask as he talks to head coach Mike Brown during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Sunday, March 4, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 93-83. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) removes his face mask in the final seconds of their NBA baskeball game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Wizards won 106-101. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant complains to the referee about having his face mask pulled in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Sunday, March 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

• Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard (24) adjust his face mask after a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans, Wednesday, March 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

• Photo courtesy of Ebay.

• Photo courtesy of Ebay.

• Photo courtesy of Ebay.

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