Update: Kobe Bryant’s family taking sides

Mar 6, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after being called for a double dribble against the New Orleans Hornets during the second quarter at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

——————– Update: May 14, 2013 ——————–

For those of you that still care about the Bryant vs. mom feud, a trial date has finally been set for June 17.

USA Today has also reported that Bryant’s family members have taken their sides. Joe Bryant and Milded Cox, Bryant’s father and grandmother, siding with his mother; and Sharia Washington, his sister, siding with Bryant.

At this point it appears to be a matter of pride between the both sides, as Bryant has made it clear that he never ‘gave’ his mother the items. Whereas his mother, who did store the memorabilia for quite some time, says otherwise.

“My son gave my wife these items over the years, stating, ‘Here Mom, these are for you,'” said Joe Bryant, backing his wife’s claims. … “on several occasions that it would be nice for him to take some of the memorabilia he had given to his mother and set up a room in his California house to display the items. He declined to do so.”

Washington, on the other hand, stated, “I have frequently heard my mother talk about how the family can make money on items associated with Kobe.”

Yikes. We’ll keep you updated.

——————– May 10, 2013 ——————–

Should you not be familiar with the story, Bryant issued a cease and desist order against an auction house in New Jersey to stop them from selling his memorabilia.

So what’s the big deal?

It was Bryant’s mother attempting to sell the items for a new home in Vegas.

TMZ of all sources was the first to break the most recent turn in the case, reporting that a judge has stopped any attempt to sell the memorabilia – at least for now. There will be a full hearing held Monday.

It’s a sloppy, drawn out argument between the two, and for the sake of brevity I’ll keep this short. Bryant says his mother did not have permission to sell or take the items, his mother said she did.

“I confronted her about her false statement that I had given my memorabilia to her,” said Bryant on what he wrote in the papers he filed Wednesday with the U.S. District Court in Camden, N.J.,

“I said to her, ‘Mom, you know I never told you that you could have the memorabilia.’

“Her response was, ‘Yes, but you never said you wanted it either.’ Of course, this is untrue, since my wife and I requested that she return my memorabilia several years earlier.”

According to the LA Times, Bryant went on to state that “the items hold tremendous sentimental value for me, and I desire to hand down my well-earned memorabilia to my children.”

The items include two championship rings, a signed basketball from the Lakers’ championship team (2000), his high school championship ring and shorts, as well as two high school jerseys and numbers trophies.

Kenneth Golden, the auction house’s owner, has already advanced Bryant’s mother $450,000 – which complicates matters. He expects to make $1 million off the items should he be able to sell them.

———————- May 3, 2013 ——————–

A New Jersey auction house is now the center of a high-profile family feud between Kobe Bryant and his mother.

Pamela Bryant, the five-time champions mother, enlisted the sports-collectibles firm to sell more than 100 items from her son’s past – estimated worth roughly 1.5 million dollars.

Bryant, already dealing with the drama surrounding the Lakers organization and the matter of rehabbing his torn Achilles, is not taking the matter lightly and will be doing everything in his power to keep the memorabilia for being sold.

Bryant’s mother reportedly wanted $450,000 to buy a new home in Nevada. When her son offered her $250,000, she reportedly turned it down and received the $450,000 up front from Goldin Auctions for the right to sell the NBA star’s jerseys, practice gear and sweatsuits from Lower Merion High School; varsity letters; a trophy for being the outstanding player at the 1995 Adidas ABCD basketball camp; and a signed basketball from the 2000 NBA championship game.

“Kobe Bryant indicated to Pamela Bryant that the items belonged to her and that he had no interest in them,” the auction house’s attorneys wrote. Which it appears she honestly did, as the items had been in her possession for the last 15-years and had been paying to store the items for the last five years.

Kenneth Golden, the auction house’s owner, stated he could not cancel the auction as he’s already paid Bryant’s mother $450,000 and invested in advertising the items.

Kobe Bryant’s lawyer Mark Campbell said in a statement, “Mr. Bryant’s personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it. We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system.”