Kobe Bryant’s Parents Face Backlash After Putting Championship Ring On The Auction Block

Mya Abraham
·2 min read
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Kobe Bryant gave his father, Joe, his very first championship ring as a gift in 2000. He won it when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers, making it his first of five NBA championships throughout his storied career. He gave his mother, Pamela, a replica, but now the original ring—that is made of 14 karat gold and has a total of 40 diamonds—is being auctioned off.

This is the second time Kobe’s parents have attempted to sell some of his prized possessions — and fans are pissed.

One called them “disgraceful” while another noted, “Kobe would of never sold it. Wow sad.” Others felt the ring should “stay in the family” or that the late athlete’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, should buy it and “keep it safe.”

Prior to his death, Kobe and his parents reportedly attempted to make amends after several fallouts that began when he started dating Vanessa. Joe and Pamela didn’t attend the couple’s wedding in April 2001. Over the years, their brief reconciliations were documented, but that came to a halt in 2013.

“When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand?” Kobe tweeted, according to the Los Angeles Times, with the hashtags “hurt beyond measure,” “gave me no warning,” and finally, “love?”

The tweet was in response to his parents attempting to sell several beloved pieces of memorabilia from Kobe’s career, including the aforementioned championship ring and his high school jerseys. This prompted a lawsuit, the New York Post reported, because Kobe reportedly wasn’t notified about the auction and didn’t give his permission to sell any of the items in question.

“We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia,” said Joe and Pamela in a statement at the time, per ESPN. “We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years.”

This did put a further strain on Kobe’s relationship with his parents, as they did not attend his final NBA game back in April 2016.

“Our relationship is sh*t,” he explained to ESPN. “I say, ‘I’m going to buy you a very nice home,’ and the response is, ‘That’s not good enough?’ Then you’re selling my s**t?”

Neither Vanessa nor Joe or Pamela have publicly spoken about this current auction, which will be live until March 30, via Goldin.

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