Eleven years after Joe “Jellybean” Bryant sold at auction the Lakers' 2000 NBA championship ring given to him by his son Kobe Bryant, the ring was sold by the same auction house for more than five times 92 It was sold again for $7,200.
The winning bid was $760,000, with the buyer's premium (Goldin Auction House's share) accounting for the remainder. The identities of the seller and buyer have not been disclosed by the auction house, so Bryant's wife Vanessa Bryant purchased the ring to return to her family four years after her husband and daughter Gianna died in an accident. It is unclear whether he did so. helicopter crash.
Bidding started slowly but reached a fever pitch on Saturday, the final day of the auction. Bidding started at $191,000, but in his last 22 minutes of the auction he received 16 bids.
read more: Plaschke: Kobe Bryant's legacy shines brighter four years after his death
The nearly $1 million sticker price is a record for an NBA championship ring and was paid for the 1957 ring that commemorated Hall of Fame center Bill Russell's first of 11 titles with the Boston Celtics. It broke the previous record high of $705,000.
This is the third time Bryant's ring has been sold, after it was put up for auction by his parents Joe and Pam in 2013. It was most recently sold by SPC Auctions a year ago. The ring comes with a certificate signed by Pam Bryant, which has been with the ring since it was first auctioned.
“Chain of provenance is very important,” said Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin Auction House. “The original His LOA should add a 'forever' touch to a collectible. That's why Mickey Mantle items with the 1975 Mantle LOA will still be gifted to him with the purchase of the same item in 2024.” Just like this, this ring includes the original text.”
read more: Vanessa Bryant helped design Kobe Hall of Fame special exhibit
In 2013, Bryant's parents gave away his precious memorabilia, including a ring, an autographed basketball from the 2000 Lakers team, a 1996 Pennsylvania high school championship ring, and a sweatsuit he wore at Lower Merion (Pennsylvania) High School. I was disappointed when I found out they were trying to sell it. And the surfboard he used when he was a kid.
“When you give GIVE and they take TAKE, do you draw a line in the sand?” Bryant was “hurt immeasurably” and “gave no warning” At the end, she tweeted with the hashtag “Love?”
Bryant took his parents to court, claiming they did not give him permission to sell his products. Pam Bryant said in a court filing that he plans to buy a home in Nevada with the $450,000 down payment he received. Lawyers issued a public apology to Bryant's parents and reached a settlement that would allow six pieces of memorabilia worth $500,000, including the ring, to be auctioned off.
A 2013 statement from Joe and Pam Bryant said they “regret their actions and statements related to Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia.” “We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we may have caused our son, and thank you for the financial support you have provided us over the years.”
read more: What happened in Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case?
Now, Joe and Pam Bryant have clarified that they have nothing to do with Saturday's ring sale, issuing the following statement to the Times: My son's 2000 championship ring. The mere existence of the auction has reopened deep, painful wounds.
“We are asking for 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. .”
Goldin was also the auction house when Joe and Pam Bryant first sold the ring in 2013 for $173,000. Ken Goldin said it was “very common” for auction houses to sell the same item multiple times.
“This happens all the time at any auction house, especially sporting goods auctions,” he said. “For example, we've sold a particular trading card five or six times since 2012.”
Sign up for the LA Times' Southern California High School Sports Newsletter for scores, articles and the secrets to prep sports favorites.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
