Pamela Bryant is cleaning out her son's trophy case, and as you can imagine, that's no small task.
The mother of Kobe, a five-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Star, has provided more than 100 items to Goldin Auctions for a massive sale next month.
Bryant himself, however, is apparently not too happy with his mother. According to the Associated Press, Bryant's lawyers told Goldin Auctions that the superstar did not want his mom giving away the memorabilia. Goldin Auctions has reportedly sued Bryant for the right to sell it.
Among the memorabilia are one of Bryant's Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards, several All-Star game rings and lots of jerseys. Perhaps the signature item from the collection is Bryant's No. 24 jersey from his freshman year at Lower Merion High School. Byrant wore No. 24 for just one year before switching to No. 33 for his final three seasons.
"It is gratifying to once again work with the Bryant family to bring this spectacular collection to auction," Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, said in a statement. "I had the pleasure of working with Kobe and his family in 1996 when he was making the leap from high school to the NBA and I signed him to his very first autograph and trading card deal. Over the past 17 years he has had reached spectacular heights and joined the conversation of the greatest players in NBA history. As a result it will be especially exciting for collectors to bid upon this unique treasure trove of rare memorabilia."
Other items in the collection include Bryant's 1996 Gatorade High School Player of the Year plaque, three Lower Marion High School MVP plaques, a team-issued 2000 NBA championship ring Bryant gave to his father and Bryant's Italian Rieti No. 44 uniform (believed to be his earliest game-worn jersey).
In recent months, Goldin Auctions has sold an extremely valuable Honus Wagner card and the document that banned Pete Rose from baseball.
