Kobe Bryant is spending the offseason rehabbing from his serious Achilles injury, but he also will be spending some of that time in court as he is trying to stop an auction house from selling some of his most prized memorabilia and other high school items.
According to ESPN.com, the trial date has been set for June 17 in the case and U.S. District Judge Renee Bumb will hear it, but there is also a mediation session scheduled that could end the dispute without a trial. Both sides are looking to resolve things quickly and it all began when Bryant mother sold a bunch of his old high school and early NBA apparel and memorabilia to an auction house to sell.
Bryant's mother was given an advance on the items, but Bryant said that he never gave his mother permission to sell any of it, which she disputes. Goldin Auctions announced their plans earlier in the month to have an auction of a number of his items, including jerseys and other memorabilia from his time at Lower Merion High School. The suits started when Bryant sent Goldin a letter to hold off on the sale and said that the items belonged to him and not his mother Pamela.
From there, he also sued in California saying that some of the items were last in his own home, while the auction house filed a suit saying that they have a right to the materials. The case could end up getting resolved quickly, but it has forced Bryant and others to take sides against each other.
Bryant's father and his grandmother are siding with Pamela, while his sister Sharia Washington, said that her mother has always wanted to cash in on his memorabilia and took the side of the Bryant. Now more issues can come to light, as the court filings said that Kobe made his parents move out of his home after meeting his wide and Washington said that her mother has repeatedly wanted to make money off of the items.
Bryant is spending his time rehabbing and while this court issue could be a distraction, he won't allow it to mess up his getting back onto the court as soon as possible, whirl the auction is currently on hold.