Panini America on Location: Spending Some Quality Signing Time with Kobe Bryant

Outside of perhaps Kobe Bryant’s own family and closest business associates, there’s likely not a person on the planet who spends more time with the “Black Mamba” than Panini America’s Brian Bayne.

Bayne, the company’s Memorabilia Business Manager who runs Panini Authentic, is the go-to guy when it comes to autograph acquisition for Panini America’s top-notch exclusive NBA spokesmen: Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant and John Wall.

Late last week, Bayne once again answered duty’s call and ventured to Newport Beach, Calif., for an extensive two-day signing session with Bryant to secure signatures for the five-time NBA champion’s 2010-11 National Treasures and 2010-11 Elite Black Box cards.

As you’ll see from the gallery below, Bryant’s regal right hand provided the finishing touches to some of the top pulls from both of the aforementioned products. That he signed the cards while the movie “Thor” played in the background should only add to the superhero aura of the Lakers’ superstar.