Kobe Bryant’s parents set to sell his first championship ring at auction. What do we know?

The proposed sale of the Lakers icon’s first championship ring is made all the more sad by the fact that it likely wouldn’t be happening if he were still with us. Sadly, that’s not the case.

Kobe Bryant’s first championship ring to sell at auction

According to reports this week, the late Kobe Bryant’s 2000 NBA championship ring which was originally given as a gift to his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, is now set to go on sale at Goldin Auctions. It’s important to note that the ring in question is not in fact the executive ring that is presented to players after winning a championship. Indeed, according to Goldin, it is “the exact same ring” i.e., a copy of the one Kobe would have received. It is understood that Bryant ordered the second ring in order to gift it to his father. That ring is now up for sale.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Bryant’s parents have attempted to sell some of his memorabilia, something that became a point of coNFLict between them and their son. In 2013, Bryant settled a lawsuit with Goldin relating to items that his parents wanted to sell. That settlement permitted less than 10% of the items initially slated for auction to finally be sold. Where the ring itself is concerned, reports indicate that it is the only one that Bryant ever gave to his father, and comes with a letter of authenticity from his mother, Pamela Bryant.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Kobe’s relationship with his parents was not always the best. Back in 2016, he told ESPN that “Our relationship is shit,” and even referenced the above-mentioned attempt at selling the items in 2013 as a contributing factor. Yet, there is some comfort in the account of one of Bryant’s friends who disclosed in 2020 - after his death - that he had seen Kobe and his father hug at a basketball Game. Both of Kobe’s parents attended his funeral. Regarding specifics of the ring, reports indicate that it is 14-karat gold and contains 40 diamonds. Along with Bryant’s name and the Lakers’ regular season record that year (67-15), the ring’s design also features the postseason record of 15-8 and the words “bling bling” followed by the year (2000). With a current leading bid of $94,000, the auction is slated to end on March 31st.