Kobe Bryant and His Mom in Legal Battle Over Memorabilia Auction


The Black Mamba is taking the legal route, in an effort to stop his mother from auctioning off some of his very valuable memorabilia. Per the Courier-Post : “Goldin Auctions of West Berlin wants to sell more than 100 items from the Los Angeles Lakers’ pro career and his days as a high school player in suburban Philadelphia. The keepsakes — including uniforms, rings and trophies — would be offered on consignment for Pamela Bryant, the athlete’s mother. But Kobe Bryant is trying to block the planned June auction, insisting he owns the memorabilia. The dispute moved to a federal court in Camden Thursday, when an attorney for the auction house requested a court order to allow the sale. The filing noted Goldin Auctions already has paid a $450,000 advance to Pamela Bryant, who wanted to buy a new home in Nevada. If a judge approves the sale, bidders could compete for shorts, jerseys, jackets and varsity letters that Bryant wore at Lower Merion High School. They could vie for NBA All-Star and Championship rings, a 1996 Gatorade National Player award and a 1992 Sonny Hill League Future Stars Champion Trophy. The lineup also would include a team jersey from Bryant’s childhood in Italy, which is described as ‘the earliest known Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey ever offered at auction.’ Bryant lived in Italy when his father, Joe, a former Philadelphia 76er, played professional basketball there. Pamela Bryant contends the collectibles have been in her possession for at least 15 years, a court filing says. It adds she stored the items in West Berlin over the past five years at a cost of $1,500 per month. […] In seeking an injunction against Kobe Bryant, Goldin’s attorney cited the potential loss of the advance payment to Bryant’s mother, as well as the loss of a 20-percent commission on auction sales. The filing also noted Pamela Bryant still has some 900 items from her son’s career with an estimated value of $1.5 million.”