Kobe Bryant probably has a room full of trophies, and you'd assume based on his drive to achieve more, that he never even looks at them. However, as Bryant nears retirement, he may get nostalgic. There's a story in ESPN Magazine, detailing Jordan's 50th birthday, where M.J. is frantically searching for two missing rings, that stands out and may one day apply to Bryant.
"At 30 I was moving so fast," he says. "I never had time to think about all the things I was encountering, all the things I was touching. Now when I go back and find these things, it triggers so many different thoughts: God, I forgot about that. That's how fast we were moving. Now I can slow it down and hopefully remember what that meant. That's when I know I'm getting old."
On Wednesday, Bryant's mom, Pamela, announced that she would be auctioning off some of Kobe's memorabilia. The profits would help pay off her Mother's Day gift–a home in Nevada. After Bryant learned about this, he took swift action to prevent the sale. His defense may have taken a step back this offseason, but Bryant was quick to put a stop to this auction.
Via: USA Today:
Goldin Auctions of West Berlin wants to sell more than 100 items from the Los Angeles Lakers' pro career and his days as a high school player in suburban Philadelphia. The keepsakes — including uniforms, rings and trophies — would be offered on consignment for Pamela Bryant, the athlete's mother.
But Kobe Bryant is trying to block the planned June auction, insisting he owns the memorabilia. The dispute moved to a federal court in Camden Thursday, when an attorney for the auction house requested a court order to allow the sale.
….Pamela Bryant contends the collectibles have been in her possession for at least 15 years, a court filing says. It adds she stored the items in West Berlin over the past five years at a cost of $1,500 per month.
According to the filing, Pamela Bryant "indicated her son gave these items to her, stating 'Here Mom, these are for you.' "
The athlete's attorney sees it differently.
"Mr. Bryant's personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it," asserted Mark Campbell of Loeb & Loeb in Los Angeles.
….According to the lawsuit, Kobe Bryant's attorneys contacted Goldin Auctions Tuesday, the same day the planned auction was announced. Their cease-and-desist letter insisted the auction be canceled and the items returned to the player.
She wasn't with Kobe shootin' in the gym but she did drive him there back in the day, so hopefully he's not getting too upset with her about this. To say Bryant and his parents have had a strained relationship would be an understatement. Between his engagement to Vanessa and his daughter's birth, there wasn't much communication between the Bryants and their son. However, they appeared to have reconciled in recent years. Mother's Day is in a few days. Hopefully, they can settle this amicably before becoming estranged from one another again.
