Kobe Bryant Embroiled In Auction Lawsuit Involving His Mother

The past few months haven’t been great for Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant. In April the player tore his Achilles tendon, and now he is involved in a legal battle involving his mother, Pamela Bryant.

To Kobe’s dismay, his mother wants to auction off some of his childhood posessions -- including old basketball trophies and championship rings he designed for his parents -- in order to pay for a new house in Nevada, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. The items are expected to sell for $1.5 million in June, via Goldin Auctions L.L.C. of West Berlin, N.J.

On Tuesday Kobe sent a cease-and-desist letter to the auctioneer, ordering the company to cancel the sale and return the objects to him. The auction house filed a countersuit Friday that asks for the right to sell the player’s items, according to the Associated Press.

ESPN reports that the objects Pamela wants to sell are “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,” in addition to several high school and NBA championship rings.

Goldin Auctions contends that the basketball player previously told his mother he no longer wanted the items, writes the AP. However, Kobe’s lawyer, Mark Campbell, told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Mr. Bryant's personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Bryant tore his anterior cruciate ligament.