Photo: Getty Images
Joe and Pamela Bryant, the parents of late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, are facing backlash for auctioning off their son's first championship ring.
According to reports, Bryant's parents put his 2000 NBA championship ring up for sale with Goldin Auctions after the late basketball star gifted it to his father.
Bryant earned the ring with the Lakers after the team beat the Indianapolis Pacers in the NBA finals. The Lakers star ordered a replica of the championship ring to gift his father.
According to Goldin Auctions, the ring is 14-karat gold with 40 diamonds and includes Bryant's last name, the Lakers' regular-season record of 67-15, and the team's postseason record of 15-8. The ring also features an inscription that reads "bling bling 2000."
Several social media were critical of Bryant's parents' decision to sell the ring.
"If I had the money I would buy it and give it to Vanessa. smh," one X user wrote.
"That ring should have sentimental value and it should stay in the family smh," another chimed in.
"Vanessa might as well cut Kobe’s parents a check since they out here starving cause ain’t no way that championship ring should belong to anyone else besides her and the girls. You gotta keep that in house," a third user said.
Before his death, Bryant was vocal about his rocky relationship with his parents. Bryant's parents didn't attend their son's wedding to Vanessa in 2001 and attempted to sell their son's memorabilia in 2013.
“When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand?” Bryant tweeted at the time.
The basketball star's parents were also absent at his final NBA game in 2016. Bryant said in an interview with ESPN that his relationship with his parents was "sh*t."
“I say, ‘I’m going to buy you a very nice home,’ and the response is, ‘That’s not good enough?’ Then you’re selling my s**t?” Bryant said.
The current bid for Bryant's ring sits at $94,000. The auction ends on March 31.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.