Kobe Bryant, Mom Settle Auction House Squabble
Kobe Bryant has settled his dispute with his mother, Pamela Bryant, conceding that she had the right to consign and sell several of the items that she placed with a New Jersey based auction house. On Monday, Ken Goldin, the owner of Goldin Auctions, said that he’ll be selling six Kobe Bryant items in an online sale scheduled from June 17 to July 19.
As I reported in early May, Pamela Bryant had originally asked Goldin Auctions to sell a large number of items that Kobe had left in her home going as far back as his high school days. She said that she’d asked Bryant if he’d wanted the items over five years earlier, and he’d told her that he didn’t.
When she needed funds to buy a house in Nevada, she consigned them to Goldin in exchange for a $450,000 advance.
When he caught wind of the sale, Kobe Bryant asked his lawyer to send a cease-and-desist letter to his mother, telling her that she didn’t own the items and couldn’t sell them.
Goldin Auctions fired back with a lawsuit that would have been heard next week if not for the settlement.
As a result of the agreement, Joe and Pamela Bryant released a statement that said in part, “We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years.”
Hmm. According to ESPN, the Bryants are allowed to auction less than 10 percent of the original items. However, interestingly enough, those items appear to be the most valuable ones.
Like most lawsuits, there’s a confidentiality agreement, and Ken Goldin has said he isn’t allowed to reveal the terms of the settlement. However, he seemed confident that he will still make a profit after paying off Pamela Bryant’s hefty advance.
“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,” Goldin said.
The Kobe Bryant memorabilia going on the auction block will include two of Bryant’s high school uniforms, his 2000 NBA All-star game ring, and his medallion and ribbon from a high-school all-star game.
Goldin predicted that each of the uniforms and the All-Star Game ring would fetch six figures ranging from around $100,000 to $250,000 apiece.
Although he did get most of his old stuff back under the agreement, it doesn’t really feel like a win for Kobe Bryant. The pick of the litter seems to be going on sale.
What does he have to say about it?
ESPN reported that Kobe Bryant refused to comment.
[Kobe Bryant photo by Christopher Johnson via Flickr and Creative Commons]
