Yesterday saw the most prized possessions of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant put up for sale. His father, Joe Bryant, was reported to have auctioned off, among other treasures, Kobe’s very first NBA championship ring.
According to Page Six, Kobe gifted his ring, which he won back in 2000, to his dad before he passed. The 14-karat gold band also contains around 40 diamonds, including 5 which spell out the word Lakers, Kobe’s championship-winning team. It is also said to come with a letter of authorization from Kobe’s mom, Pam Bryant, to verify its authenticity.
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Some fans will be outraged to discover that Kobe’s family would even consider selling the athlete’s prize to a stranger. But they don’t have to worry, as that isn’t exactly what’s going on.
The truth is the ring Kobe gave his dad is not the same one he won during his first championship with the Lakers. Kobe reportedly had an incredibly accurate replica made that he could give to Joe while keeping the original for himself.
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The auction site where the ring was placed stated, “Obtained directly from the Bryant family, this ring is a true one of a kind…” The site went on to assert that it is “the only championship ring ever given by Kobe to his father.”
Although it sounded pretty impressive, the description actually leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what exactly was for sale. Were there more replica rings that Kobe had made? The site only claims that this was the only one Kobe gave to Joe.
Kobe’s Parents Have Tried to Selling His Possessions Before
Whatever the truth is, the auction site and Bryant family feel confident that the ring has a lot of value. And it looks like they were right.
Page Six reported yesterday that, so far, bids for the replica ring had reached an insane $141,000. Despite the huge amount of money Joe and Pam can expect to earn from the sale, it seems a little odd that they would be comfortable giving away a gift from their late son.
But the truth is that Kobe and his parents had a strained relationship for years before his passing. Reports that they had fallen out first started to pop up at the time of his engagement to Vanessa Laine. It was even confirmed that neither Kobe’s mom nor dad attended his wedding to Vanessa in 2001.
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In 2003, Kobe talked publicly about his parents’ problem with him for the first time. He made the huge claim that Joe and Pam allegedly had an issue with the color of his fiance’s skin.
Their relationship deteriorated even further after Kobe realized that his parents tried to make more money from his incredible career. Apparently, the most recent auction of Joe’s replica ring is not the first time they have considered selling Kobe’s belongings.
They attempted to auction off a large collection of memorabilia that included Kobe’s high school uniforms. When Kobe found out, he sued his parents, stating that he had not given permission for the sale of his items. But now, it looks like Joe and Pam will be able to sell whatever they want with no one around to stop them.
