Kobe Bryant's Dad Is Selling His 2000 Championship Ring; Mamba Fans Are Miffed

Kobe Bryant’s parents are the objects of public scorn once again for auctioning off memorabilia from their late legendary son. This time, however, the personal item is a championship ring the Los Angeles Lakers icon gifted his father, former NBA star Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, from the Lakers’ title win in 2000. So far, Kobe’s wife Vanessa, father Joe, or mother Pamela have publicly spoken about this current auction, which will be live until March 30 on Goldin, Vibe reported.

One-of-A-Kind Memorabilia

This was his very first championship ring and he gave his mother, Pamela, a replica. However, according to the auction website, the original ring is being auctioned off.

As per Goldin Auctions, the ring is 14-karat gold. The 11 ½ size ring weighs about 59.6 grams and carries a total of 40 diamonds. It features five larger round diamonds on either side of the face with the text "Bling Bling" on one side and "Bryant" on the other side. The ring has “Lakers” written in the middle, filled with purple enamel, and the words “world champions” are inscribed on the top and bottom of the ring.

“The ring is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can confirm that it is the only championship ring ever given by Kobe to his father,” the website stated. On the auction website, the current bid stands at $94,000 at the time of writing.

Mamba Fans aren’t Happy

This is the second time that Kobe’s parents have attempted to sell his memorabilia, and since the first attempt was fiercely opposed by the Lakers Legend, this time, Mamba fans aren’t happy. In his absence, his fans have deemed the action “sad” and “disgraceful”.

A fan said that it was just sad but whoever buys the ring will have more appreciation for it than Kobe’s parents ever would. The fans also said that they hope fellow basketball legend and Kobe’s longtime friend, Shaq buy the ring.

However, some fans did come in support of the late basketball star’s parents making a case for them to auction off the ring. One of the fans said that the ring was gifted, it belonged to his parents and they could choose what to do with it.

Kobe’s Strained Relationship with His Parents

In 2013, Kobe and his parents reportedly got into a legal battle after his mother tried to auction off some of Kobe’s items from his early basketball career. However, their relationship soured way before, since Kobe started dating Vanessa.

His parents did not attend the couple’s wedding in 2001. After the auction attempt in 2013, things went further downhill with Kobe expressing his displeasure on social media. However, at the time, the auction was called off and Kobe’s parents issued an apology. It was followed by a settlement that allowed less than 10% of the items originally intended to be auctioned.

“We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years,” Kobe’s parents said in a statement at the time, according to ESPN.

This did not seem to mend their relationship as his parents did not attend his final NBA game back in April 2016.