Kobe Bryant Agrees to Auction of his Memorabilia
- June 10, 2013 12:49
After settling a disagreement with his mother, NBA star Kobe Bryant has given the green light to a sale of his memorabilia at a New Jersay auction house starting this month.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ player reached a settlement with Goldin Auctions to sell items that his mother had consigned.
Bryant's lawyers had sent the auction house a cease-and-desist letter to halt the sale of 100 items that the basketball star said his mother, Pamela Bryant, was not authorized to sell.
Pamela Bryant said she had asked her son what he wanted to do with the items about five years ago and that he gave them to her.
Goldin then sued Kobe Bryant, taking the matter to a judge to clarify the items’ ownership. The auction house paid $450,000 as an advance to Pamela Bryant in January, which she spent on a new home purchase in Nevada.
Terms of the deal were not given. In a statement on Monday, Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, said, "Goldin Auctions and Kobe Bryant have reached an amicable resolution. Goldin Auctions thanks Kobe Bryant for his assistance in resolving this matter."
Although the amount of items for sale has been greatly reduced, five of the six lots offered are expected to reach into the six figures. Fifty percent of proceeds from four lots consigned by the Bryant family will be donated to a charity.
The consignment includes two of Bryant’s Lower Merion High School uniforms, a 1996 Magic’s Roundball Classic All Star medallion and ribbon, his 2000 NBA All-Star game ring, and two NBA championship rings. Other Bryant related items have also been consigned by other parties.
The auction will be open from June 17-July 19, 2013 at www.GoldinAuctions.com. The auction preview will begin on June 14.
Goldin says, "The Kobe Bryant items we are offering, coupled with the rare collectibles we have from the likes of Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, Mike Tyson and Jackie Robinson makes this one of the most anticipated sports memorabilia auctions in recent memory."