The sales of Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant’s 2000 championship ring has been an ongoing source of drama for the entire Bryant family, dating back to when Kobe’s parents — Joe and Pam Bryant — first sold the ring back in 2013, leading to a lawsuit from Kobe and a public apology from Joe and Pam. Now, 11 years later, Bryant’s ring has sold for the fourth time, this time for a historic amount.
Bryant’s ring has been sold three times since Joe and Pam’s initial sale in 2013, and it was sold by the same auction house — Goldin — that authenticated the sale 11 years ago. The buyers of the ring are not made public, meaning it can never be known if this purchase was made by Vanessa Bryant in an attempt to return the ring to the family.
Whoever did make the purchase not only spent the most on a championship ring in history, but shattered the previous record by over $220,000. The sale was announced by Goldin auction house:
RECORD SALE FOR ANY NBA TITLE RING 🏀 💍
A 2000 Lakers Championship Players Ring, gifted by Kobe to his father Joe, has sold in our March Elite.
This is the same ring originally consigned to Goldin by the Bryant Family in 2013, & the new owner (NOT Joe Bryant) is our consignor. pic.twitter.com/ZaUD0PhRs4
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) March 31, 2024
The purchase price of $927,200 is split between the actual auction price of $760,000 plus a $127,200 premium that is collected by Goldin. However, because of the issues that the sale of this ring has caused in the past, Joe Bryant wanted to make sure that he had no involvement in this auction, according to Steve Henson of The L.A. Times:
This time around, Joe and Pam Bryant made it clear they had nothing to do with Saturday’s sale of the ring, providing a statement to The Times that said: “We want to make it unequivocally clear that we have no involvement in this sale of our son’s 2000 championship ring. The mere existence of the auction has reopened a deep, painful wound.
“We seek peace, and the opportunity to grieve with dignity. We appreciate your understanding and respect for our family’s privacy at this time. Thank you, and may God bless you.”
Hopefully, this auction does not cause any more issues within the Bryant family. It’s clear they had no involvement in the record sale and that the deal was authorized by other parties. Bryant’s merchandise will continue to be a hot ticket item as years pass and his mark on the game remains ever present.
Dejounte Murray shouts out Kobe Bryant
Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray recently led his team to a victory over the Boston Celtics by taking 44 field goal attempts in an upset win. Afterwards, he gave a shout out to Bryant, who often had to carry Lakers teams with Herculean efforts similar to what Murray accomplished.
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