Kobe Bryant, mom in court battle

CAMDEN, N.J. -- Kobe Bryant is in a court battle to try to keep his mother from auctioning off mementos from his high school days in Pennsylvania and his early years with the Los Angeles Lakers.

A New Jersey auction house filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Camden on Thursday for the right to sell the stuff after the NBA star's lawyers wrote the firm telling it to cancel a planned June auction.

The disagreement is a high-value, high-profile version of a question many families face: Can Mom get rid of the stuff a grown child left at home?

Pamela Bryant intends to sell: the NBA star's jerseys, practice gear and sweatsuits from Lower Merion High School; varsity letters; a trophy for being the outstanding player at the 1995 Adidas ABCD basketball camp; and a signed basketball from the 2000 NBA championship game.

And then there are rings, for the 1996 Pennsylvania high school championship, a pair that the Lakers made for Bryant's parents for the 2000 NBA championship and one from the 1998 NBA All-Star Game.

According to court filings, Pamela Bryant struck a deal in January with Goldin Auctions in Berlin, N.J., which earlier this year sold a rare Honus Wagner baseball card for a record $2.1 million.

She got $450,000 up front, which she intended to use for a new home in Nevada.

A source told ESPN that Kobe Bryant offered to pay his mother up $250,000 toward a home she wanted.

She refused, saying she wanted $450,000. When Kobe Bryant turned her down, the source said that unbeknownst to Kobe Bryant she struck a deal to get the $450,000 advanced through the auction company.

The source said Kobe Bryant was unaware that his memorabilia was being auctioned until hours before the auction company released the news of the sale.

Sources close to Kobe Bryant confirmed to ESPNLosAngeles.com that before learning about the auction through news reports, the Lakers star has given his parents "millions of dollars in financial assistance" throughout his 17-year career.

Bryant's parents decided to sell his high school memorabilia without his consent in order to purchase an additional home, sources said. Bryant offered to buy a house for his parents, but they wanted a larger one.

In its court filings, Goldin Auctions says Pamela Bryant told the auction house that she asked her son five years ago what he wanted to do with the items that were in her home.

"Kobe Bryant indicated to Pamela Bryant that the items belonged to her and that he had no interest in them," the auction house's attorneys wrote. So she put them in a $1,500-per-month New Jersey storage unit.

The challenge came Tuesday when Goldin Auctions sent a news release announcing the auction. By day's end, Kobe Bryant's lawyer had sent a cease-and-desist letter telling the auction house to call off the sale and return the items to him.

Kenneth Goldin, owner of the auction house, says he can't cancel the auction because he's already advanced $450,000 to Bryant's mother and put money into advertising the auction.

Kobe Bryant's lawyer Mark Campbell said in a statement, "Mr. Bryant's personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it. We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system."

Bryant has had a sometimes icy relationship with his mother and father, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, a former pro basketball player who is now coaching in Thailand.

There are not many things worse than a parent who takes advantage or steals from their children


Me and Rick will see her in hell

It's been about 30 years for Kobe to grab that shit if he wanted it. Screw him,possesion is 9/10's of the law.

Kobe has probably been footing the bill for the storage unit this stuff is in, so if that's the case, he would probably win any kind of "possession" argument.

would make for a good episode of Storage Wars

It's been about 30 years for Kobe to grab that shit if he wanted it. Screw him,possesion is 9/10's of the law.

Are you fucking kidding?

You, JIMMY PASTA, hater of all no talent rich people is supporting Mom Bryant?


He's given her MILLIONS and is offering to buy her a quarter million dollar house.

Who said MILLIONS? Sources close to Kobe? Probably more like 40 grand.

Who said MILLIONS? Sources close to Kobe? Probably more like 40 grand.

Kobe has probably been footing the bill for the storage unit this stuff is in, so if that's the case, he would probably win any kind of "possession" argument.

Deal reached in Kobe Bryant case

The Kobe Bryant memorabilia saga has ended with an apology from the Los Angeles Lakers guard's parents and a settlement that allows less than 10 percent of the items originally intended for sale to be auctioned.

Bryant and a company that was auctioning off the memorabilia reached a deal one week before the two sides were due to go to trial in New Jersey. The agreement allows the sale of six items, which Goldin Auctions president Ken Goldin told ESPN.com on Monday morning he is confident still can sell for more than $500,000 combined.

Bryant's parents, who had contracted with Goldin to sell the items, apologized in a written statement.

"We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia," Joe and Pamela Bryant said in the statement provided by a publicist. "We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years. We also apologize to Goldin Auctions for their inadvertent involvement in this matter and thank them for their assistance."

When Bryant learned last month that Goldin was planning on selling the items consigned to the company by his mother, Pamela, he sued the company. Goldin then filed its own lawsuit that maintained that Pamela was the owner of the items, revealing that the company had already given her an advance of $450,000 to pay for a new home for Bryant's father, Joe, and herself in Las Vegas.

While Goldin said he wasn't free to divulge the terms of the settlement, what is clear is that approximately 90 percent of what previously was being offered has been pulled off the table, though the remaining ones are some of the most highly coveted items.

Goldin said he is happy with the resolution.

"We're offering very rare Kobe Bryant memorabilia," Goldin said. "And for many of these items, this is the only place you'll ever see things like this."

Included in the auction will be two of Bryant's high school uniforms and two rings celebrating the 2000 Lakers championship team that were gifted at the time to Bryant's parents. The ring gifted to his father, Joe, Goldin notes, comes in the same size as the ring presented to Kobe (11½).

For some items, including Bryant's 2000 NBA All-Star ring, half the winning bid will be donated to charity, Goldin said. When reached, Kobe Bryant said he would have no comment on the resolution.

Bidding will start June 17 and close July 19. The auction also includes what Goldin says is the only existing bat from Jackie Robinson's 1949 MVP-winning season.

I'm with Big Fan. Half a mil is chump change for Kobe. Kobe is the DB

Kobe should just let he know that selling those things will terminate any financial assistance he might otherwise have given in the future. If she still sells, she made that decision and has to live with it.