Kobe Bryant and his parents haven’t been very close over the years, and now it appears that lack of communication may devolve into a legal issue.
The Lakers star recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to auctioneer Goldin Auctions L.L.C., to prevent it from auctioning off a trove of his old memorabilia, including high school trophies, jerseys and NBA championship rings gifted to Bryant’s parents. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pamela Bryant wanted to auction off what she estimated to be $1.5 million worth of memorabilia to pay for a house.
“Mr. Bryant’s personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it,” said Bryant’s lawyer, Mark Campbell of Loeb & Loeb L.L.P., in a statement. “We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system. There will be no further comment at this time.”
In light of the cease-and-desist, Goldin Auctions filed a lawsuit, claiming Pamela Bryant has legal ownership of the memorabilia, and they have every right to sell the 42 items. The lawsuit says that Pamela Bryant has held onto the memorabilia for 15 years at a personal cost of $1,500 per month for storage, even offering the items to Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, who declined to take them.
According to the lawsuit, Pamela Bryant has used a $450,000 pre-auction cosigning fee to buy a house in Nevada. She and her husband, former NBA player Joseph “Jellybean” Bryant, currently live in Thailand, where Joseph Bryant coaches a team.
