Talk about something you wouldn’t expect a parent to do, especially when it comes to giving away an item that was a gift from a child who’s no longer here.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant put up for auction the 2000 NBA championship ring his son — Lakers legend Kobe Bryant — gifted him years before his untimely death in January 2020, the Los Angeles Times and The Source reported.
Now, the ring is listed for sale at Goldin Auctions. The ring is notably different from the executive rings given directly to the players; rather, it’s a replica of the ring given to Kobe and his Lakers teammates after their championship victory.
Kobe was just thoughtful enough to order the extra ring for his father, who played for La Salle University in Philadelphia and later played for the 76ers.
So, could this all mean Joe and Pamela Bryant, Kobe’s mother, are struggling financially and are in desperate need of the $200,000 the ring could fetch?
The 14-karat gold ring features 40 diamonds, in addition to the inscriptions “Lakers,” “Bryant,” “World Champions” and “Bling Bling.” It’s possible the ring can fetch that amount because, back in 2019, his mother auctioned a replica 2000 championship ring that was given by her son, which sold for $206,000.
This is not the first auction Kobe's parents have tried.
Kobe Bryant’s parents also attempted to auction off memorabilia to finance a new house back in 2013, which led to a lawsuit that was eventually settled. The agreement permitted the sale of less than 10% of the initially intended auction items.
But the historic ring stands out as the sole piece Kobe Bryant ever gave his father, which enhances its uniqueness.
One would think his father would be emotionally attached to the gift.
In addition to the ring was a letter of authenticity from Pamela Bryant, The Source reported.
Kobe and his parents had a difficult relationship in later years.
It’s no secret that Kobe and his parents had a rocky relationship for years since his marriage to Vanessa Bryant, whom he met in 1999 and married in 2001, as his parents famously didn’t attend their wedding ceremony.
-by EmilyAnn Jackman, pennlive.com (TNS)
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