"Following Kobe Bryant's sudden passing, we expect to see a lot of fans looking to get a piece of memorabilia to remember a star they thought highly of.
"Kobe was a global superstar and we see hundreds of searches for 'Kobe Bryant' every week already. It's likely that we'll see thousands of searches over the next week as his fans digest the sad news."
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant pictured in February, 2009. Photo / Gettys
The description reads: "RIP the Black Mamba. Devastating news of one of my favourite all time players and an absolute legend of the game.
Listings for Kobe Bryant memorabilia on Trade Me have jumped since his death yesterday. Photo / TradeMe
"I have had this Lakers jersey for years but it is way too big for me ... better off with someone who will appreciate it."
Another singlet said to be in "average condition" had already reached $54 and had 18 bidders.
Stewart said the site had seen similar activity when Kiwi sporting legends had died over the years - including mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and All Black greats Jonah Lomu and Jerry Collins.
"In the week following their deaths, we saw more than 8000 searches for Jonah and more than 4000 for Jerry," she said.
"Opportunism around events like this is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but it does happen occasionally.
"A few sellers look to sell items to make a quick buck, but more often than not they're selling an item related to the star and lots more interested buyers come to Trade Me keen to snap up something to remember a famous figure who meant something to them."
Overseas, American auction site eBay is reportedly being flooded with Kobe Bryant memorabilia, with thousands of items being put up every few hours, according to US media reports.
