Kobe Bryant: Lakers Championship Ring up for Auction, Expected to Bring in $250k

Following the 1999-2000 NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers to win the NBA title. Kobe Bryant celebrated this accomplishment by gifting a championship ring to his father, Joe Bryant. Now that ring is up for auction and is expected to reach $250,000.

According to TMZ Sports, Goldin Auctions is in charge of this unique lot and that this is the second time the ring is up for sale. Joe previously parted with his ring and other Lakers' merchandise for $280,000 back in 2013, and now the current owner is willing to part ways with the piece of NBA history. Goldin Auctions also recently sold Pamela Bryant's matching championship ring in spring 2020 for $201,250. Joe's ring currently sits at $49,000 and will close on July 18.

The description reveals that this ring is not an executive version of the championship ring. It is actually identical. Bryant paid extra and ordered two identical rings to gift them to his parents. These 14k gold rings feature 40 diamonds, Bryant's name and the words "Bling Bling," among other details.

Along with the championship ring, there are several Bryant items up for auction. One example is a basketball autographed by the former Lakers star, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Additionally, fans are currently bidding on the autographed cast Bryant wore after he broke his wrist in the 1999 preseason.

His merchandise has always generated a market, but demand has risen since Bryant's death. He, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were traveling to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas. Many NBA fans responded by paying tribute to Bryant with tattoos or murals. Others headed to shops to track down any piece of merchandise they could find. Now one of these fans will own a special championship ring.