Kobe Bryant has reached a settlement with a New Jersey auction house in some most interesting litigation. New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions had allowed the NBA star’s mother to sell some of his memorabilia. Bryant also got an apology from his parents, who thanked him for his financial support. The Los Angeles Lakers star reached the settlement last month with the auction house. Because of a confidentiality agreement, only a limited amount of information can be released relating to the terms. But the settlement identifies six items that will be auctioned, including two uniforms worn by Bryant at Lower Merion High School outside Philadelphia and two 2000 NBA championship rings Bryant gave to his parents.
Goldin Auctions sued in federal court after Bryant’s lawyers wrote the company telling it to cancel a planned auction of close to 100 items. The Los Angeles Lakers star claimed his mother, Pamela, didn’t have the right to sell the items. Subsequently, Bryant filed suit against the auction company in a California court. A trial had been scheduled to begin there on June 17th. Under the settlement, Goldin Auctions also will sell Bryant’s 2000 NBA All-Star game ring and his medallion and ribbon from Magic’s Roundball Classic, a high school all-star game. In an emailed statement, Bryant’s parents wrote:
We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia. We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we may have caused our son and appreciate the financial support that he has provided to us over the years. We also would like to apologize to Goldin Auctions for their inadvertent involvement in this matter and thank them for their assistance.
The owner of Goldin Auction says auction prices can be difficult to predict. But he says the high school uniforms and the All-Star Game ring will bring the highest prices. He expects the items to go for $100,000 to $250,000 each. The auction was scheduled to run from June 17th to July 19th. The owner of the auction house, who seemed pretty well-pleased, said
We are very happy it settled and we are happy with the items. If I’d looked at the list from the beginning and picked nine items I wanted to get my hands on, I’ve got five of them.
Bryant jumped from high school straight to the NBA in 1996. He was instrumental in winning five championships with the Lakers, most recently in 2010. I didn’t realize it, but his father, Joe, played eight seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia, San Diego and Houston. Hopefully, this family can reunite and get on with their lives.
Source: The Washington Post
