Source: Streeter Lecka / Getty
Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe Bryant, is auctioning off his late son’s 2000 NBA championship ring, which Kobe personally gifted his father.
Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, has put Kobe’s 2000 Lakers NBA championship ring up for auction.
Kobe ordered an identical copy as a gift to his father https://t.co/XXQNeqv5t4
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 21, 2024
Now, according to the Goldin, the 14-karat gold ring is encrusted with 40 diamonds—including five large round diamonds around the face that display the word “LAKERS”—isn’t the actual ring that players received in 2000, when Kobe won his first championship. Instead, it’s a replica of that ring, which the 18-time All-Star specially ordered to give his father as a gift. Still, it’s an impressive ring.
From Page Six:
The jewelry is in the former Los Angeles Laker’s ring size of 11 ½, weighs about 59.6 grams and comes with a letter of authorization from Kobe’s mom, Pam Bryant.
“Obtained directly from the Bryant family, this ring is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can confirm that it is the only championship ring ever given by Kobe to his father,” the auction site read.
As of this publication, the bid has reached a whopping $141,000. Bidding for the ring ends on March 30.
Whether fans realize the ring Joe is auctioning off to the public is an actual championship ring or not, they seem to have thoughts on the matter, with most appearing to condemn the move while others sympathize with Bryant’s parents and support their need to sell the ring, and some even asked why the main beneficiary of Kobe’s fortune, his wife Vannessa Bryant, isn’t doing more to help out.
Here are some of the replies on X.
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