In 2000, Kobe Bryant gave his father, Joe, his first NBA championship ring as a present. He had gotten it when the Los Angeles Lakers had defeated the Indiana Pacers in his first NBA championship game. He then gave his mother a replica of the ring. However, now, the original ring is being auctioned off. It is 14 karat gold and has 40 diamonds.
This isn’t the first time that Kobe’s parents have tried to sell off of his items.
Before he died, Kobe and his parents were said to have tried to reconcile after their relationship had dissolved when he began dating Vanessa. They did not attend the couple’s wedding in 2001, and the relationship was totally estranged after 2013.
“When you Give Give and they Take Take at wut point do you draw a line in the sand?” Kobe had tweeted at one point. This came after his parents tried to sell multiple pieces of memorabilia that represented Kobe’s career. This included the championship ring and his high school jerseys. This initiated a lawsuit due to the fact that Kobe was unaware of the auction and didn’t approve these items to be sold.
Kobe’s parents later apologized for their actions.
Neither Vanessa nor his parents have spoken publicly about the current auction that is expected to continue until March 30.