Following Kobe Bryant‘s death in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, Los Angeles Lakers fans have sought out unique items and pieces of memorabilia. Several people have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on rare items, but one collection will never become available. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, recently revealed that she is saving a massive amount of memorabilia for their daughters.
Vanessa posted photos of some of her favorite items recently, showing off incredibly rare memorabilia from Bryant’s career. She highlighted All-Star jerseys and autographed basketballs from NBA events, champagne-soaked shorts and a shirt from the 2001 title celebration and a Lakers jacket. “I keep EVERYTHING for my baby and our girls,” Vanessa wrote while calling herself a “hoarder wife.”
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According to TMZ Sports, Vanessa also showed off Bryant’s high school jersey and warmups. She said that the family did not originally have the rare items and had to reacquire them in 2013. “The fact that this was auctioned off and my husband had to buy this and more back is so sad,” Vanessa said. “Glad we have it back.”
While Vanessa had made it clear that she will save the memorabilia for her daughters, other items have become available in recent months. One example is a championship ring that recently hit the auction block. The rare item was a ring from the 1999-2000 championship season that Bryant ordered for his father, Joe Bryant.
The description revealed at the time 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.
Joe originally sold his ring and other pieces of Lakers merchandise in 2013 for $280,000. The new owner made the item available in the summer, opening up opportunities for Bryant fans to spend a considerable amount of money. Goldin Auctions, the auction house that listed Joe’s ring, also sold Pamela Bryant’s matching championship ring in spring 2020 for $201,250.
One of the more unique pieces of memorabilia is actually the home where Bryant spent his teenage years. Compass Realty has the listing for the home, which sits in the Wynnewood suburb of Philadelphia. The property is 3,400 square feet and has five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. According to Deadline, Bryant’s father, Joe Bryant, sold the home in 2008 for the price of $510,000. Now the price has skyrocketed to $899,000.
