Kobe Bryant’s first-ever championship ring is up for auction, but before the Black Mamba diehards protest the fact that it’s up for sale, there’s one thing they need to know: it was an extra copy of Kobe’s championship ring.
The ring, which is up for auction at Goldin, is a player-issued ring given by Bryant to his dad after he won his first NBA Championship back in the 1999-2000 season. Led by the duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant, the Lakers took down the Indiana Pacers in six games.
According to the listing description, Bryant asked for an extra copy of his ring in order to give to his dad. It is worth noting that the ring is not an executive version of the ring or one that is given to team staff. Instead, it’s the same one given to players.
“Obviously proud of winning his very first NBA Championship, Kobe ordered an extra copy of the majestic ring he was issued to give to his father, Joe Bryant, as a special gift. This is not an executive version of the Championship ring, but the same EXACT ring given to Kobe Bryant and other Lakers players,” Goldin said of the item,
Kobe Bryant’s championship ring
Furthermore, the said ring is in Kobe Bryant’s ring size of 11 and half. It features 40 diamonds, highlighted by the five bigger round diamonds on either side at the top of the ring. The Lakers’ name is in the middle, with the word “WORLD CHAMPIONS” on top and bottom of the face.
On one side, Bryant’s surname was written along with his jersey number 8. The Lakers’ regular season record of 67-15 and postseason record of 15-8 were also included. In order to further highlight its authenticity, the ring comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Kobe’s mom, Pam Bryant.
While it is unknown why the ring is up for auction, it is definitely a unique piece of memorabilia. After all, there are only two of it in the world, and one is with Kobe’s family.
How much will Kobe Bryant’s championship ring sell for?
On Sunday, at the time of writing, the championship ring already has 13 bids, with the highest bidder sending a $94,000 offer. The bidding is until the end of March, however, so there is still plenty of time left for other Lakers and Kobe Bryant fans to make a run for the ring.
It is definitely quite tricky to determine the price of the ring considering that it’s not the original one issued to Bryant. Sure enough, though, it will still command a hefty amount of money considering that it’s given to Kobe and is actually a player-issued one. Not to mention that Kobe memorabilia have often fetch ridiculous prices.
For comparison, a Kobe jersey he wore during his MVP season in 2007-08 was sold for $5.8 million. Considering that, it’s safe to assume that there’s a possibility the ring will fetch at least a million dollars.
However, some Kobe fans are not happy with the decision to sell the ring, as some noted that it should be something kept in the family to remember the Lakers legend who passed away in 2020 in a helicopter crash.
It remains to be seen how much the ring will actually sell for, but plenty of fans will definitely keep an eye on it as the bidding for the incredible item and piece of history continues.
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