Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard, is embroiled in a legal spat with his mother and an auction house in New Jersey that is selling over 100 items from his early basketball career.
Goldin Auctions LLC, which is holding an auction on an unspecified date in June of items from Bryant’s childhood in Italy, his high school years in Pennsylvania and his early years in the NBA, filed a lawsuit against him on Thursday.
“The Bryant Collection,” which was consigned by the sports star’s mother, Pamela Bryant, includes trophies, championship rings, medals, plaques, game worn uniforms and other items.
Pamela Bryant, 59, made a deal in January with the auction house, receiving $450,000, which she used for a new home in Nevada. Five years ago, she had asked her son what he wanted to do with the items, but he had no interest in them, the Associated Press reported.
“Pamela Bryant also indicated that her son gave these items to her stating ‘here mom, these are for you’,” the complaint states.
So she had placed the items in a storage unit in New Jersey for $1,500 a month, the AP reported.
The centerpiece of the collection is Bryant’s Lower Merion High School basketball uniform with the number 24, which he wore as a freshman before he switched to number 33 for the remainder of his high school career, according to a press release.
“It is believed to be the only authentic game worn #24 Kobe Bryant LMHS jersey in existence. The next time he wore a #24 jersey was when he switched his NBA number to it after the 2005-06 NBA season,” the Goldin Auctions press release states. “When he finally removes #24 from his back, it will hang in the rafters alongside, Wilt, Kareem, Magic and Shaq.”
Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, which sold a rare Honus Wagner baseball card last month for a record $2.1 million, declined to comment.
h/t – ABCNEWS
