The saga continues over the heated family feud involving NBA superstar Kobe Bryant (pictured left) and his mother, Pamela (pictured below), regarding a planned auction of more than 100 collectibles from the baller’s past. Pamela alleges that her son gave her the memorabilia, which she had planned to sell, and Kobe vehemently denies this, stating that he wants to pass on the items to his children. Now Kobe’s dad, Joseph (pictured below), and grandmother, Mildred Cox, are siding with Pamela and have entered the courtroom battle as well, reports USA Today.
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The familial-tug-of-war reportedly erupted once Kobe got wind that his mother made plans to have his collectibles sold at an auction on consignment.
After Kobe sent a cease-and-desist order, the auction house sued May 2 in a bid for court approval. The company contends that they advanced Pamela $450,000, who then allegedly used the monies to purchase a Las Vegas home. Subsequently, Kobe reportedly filed a lawsuit on May 7th in an effort to keep his mom from proceeding with her intended sale of his belongings.
Pamela’s opposing lawsuit contends that Kobe gave her jerseys, trophies, and rings from his high school and early NBA playing days (pictured below). In a court filing on Monday, Pamela added that both Kobe and his wife, Vanessa, made “many false statements” in their sworn statements.
Kobe stated in the court documents that he and his mother had a telephone conversation on May 2 in which he affirmed the fact that he never gave her his belongings. Reportedly, Pamela states in the court filing, “This conversation never occurred and I never made that statement.” The Mom also added to the statement that her son, “Never demanded the return of any of the items, nor were they in any way improperly taken from him without his permission.”
Both Joseph and Cox are backing Pamela all the way, because according to Joseph, when Kobe and Vanessa visited their home and Pamela took Kobe and Vanessa to the second floor to see all of the keepsakes, neither Vanessa nor Kobe had any interest in the items.
Joseph, a former NBA player as well, said in the filing, “My son gave my wife these items over the years, stating, ‘Here, Mom, these are for you.'” Joseph even went on to reveal how he had, on numerous occasions, suggested to his son that he take some of the memorabilia and display them in a room at his own California home, and “he declined to do so.”
Pamela also claims that she’s been in possession of the collectibles for at least 15 years and has even paid a storage company a whopping $90,000 over a five-year period to secure them.
Both Pamela and Joseph moved in to Kobe’s home in 1996. In the court papers, Kobe is also accusing his parents of removing a Teen Choice Award surfboard and trophy, after they were asked to leave his home when he met his future wife Vanessa.
Kobe’s sister, Sharia Washington, has also joined the family feud, but she is backing her brother 100 percent, saying, “I have frequently heard my mother talk about how the family can make money on items associated with Kobe,” she said.
And so the battle rages on among the Bryant’s….
