Kobe Bryant’s 2000 NBA Championship ring brought almost $1 million at an auction. According to Goldin, who organized the auction, the highest bid of $927,000 at the end of the session set a record for the most expensive NBA title ring.
The prior record was set at an auction in 2021 for Bill Russell’s 1957 Boston Celtics championship ring.
Kobe gave his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the ring even though his parents were not in attendance. This was evident in the now-iconic photo of him holding the Larry O’Brien trophy in the locker room, looking thoughtful after winning the championship, from 2001.
Bryant was upset that his parents did not attend the finals because they disapproved of his marriage to Vanessa Bryant.
In a social media post, Goldin clarified on X that the Bryant family originally cosigned this ring to Goldin in 2013, and the new owner is a consignor.
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Goldin added, “We can confirm that this is the only championship ring that Kobe has ever given to his father. It was obtained directly from the Bryant family and is a true one-of-a-kind.”
Bryant’s ring was bid upon forty-three times.
The ring has No. 8, which he wore during the first part of his career, and 40 diamonds set on a 14-karat piece.
The Lakers’ regular season record of 67-15 and their postseason record of 15-8 are displayed on the side of the ring.
Since many sports fans think the ring is a piece of NBA history, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding its sale.
Kobe filed a public lawsuit against his parents in 2013 for attempting to sell an excessive amount of his NBA memorabilia, which included his NBA Championship ring from 2000.
However, Kobe’s parents expressed regret for their remarks and actions regarding their actions.