Kobe Bryant flew in a chef from Italy to prepare wife’s birthday dinner (photos)
Sunday was Vanessa Bryant’s 31st birthday, so her hubby, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant made the kind of gesture only über-rich folks can do to make her special day that much more savory: He flew in a chef from Milan, Italy to prepare her birthday meal. Usually, Kobe is far too busy at this time of the year to probably go above and beyond on Vanessa’s birthday, what with the Lakers often competing in the playoffs, but with his injury and the team’s early exit, Bryant appeared to go above and beyond for his wife. On Monday, Kobe uploaded the below photos to his Instagram account with the following message: Fabrizio de Togni is the master chef for Paper Moon @ladyvb24 favorite restaurant in Milano. He’s a friend and agreed to fly in for Vanessa’s bday dinner and prepare her fav dishes #eggplantparmigiano #juicyfilets #pennearrabbiata #millegrazie #PaperMoon #foodcoma #ciboitaliano Looks mighty tasty. Of course, Kobe has an affinity for all things Italian after spending much…
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Kobe Bryant, mom feud over N.J. auction
Lakers star trying to block planned June sale of memorabilia initiated by Pamela Bryant.
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Kobe Bryant Enters Legal Battle with Mother over Auction Worth $1.5 Million
Kobe Bryant has some legal drama with his mama.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jane M. Von Bergen reports on a cease and desist letter Bryant’s legal team sent to Goldin Auctions L.L.C. of West Berlin—an auction house that was set to sell off a reported $1.5 million worth of Bryant memorabilia his mother claims ownership to.
The 42 items of merchandise, which include several Lower Merion uniforms worn by the player and two 2000 Lakers Championship rings designed for his parents, were to go up for auction in June, each authenticated as genuine by Pamela Bryant.
In a tale of what can happen when adult children move on but leave behind their “treasures,” Goldin filed suit asking the judge to clarify ownership of the memorabilia and clear the way for the auction.
According to the report, Pamela Bryant is in Thailand with Bryant’s father, Joseph “Jellybean” Bryant, who now coaches a team there.
She was contacted by Goldin and assured the auction house that she was the proper owner of the memorabilia and the auction should proceed as planned. It’s understandable, because the report issues, “Pamela Bryant has received a pre-auction consigning fee of $450,000 and has used it to buy a house.”
The auction company that is suing for a clear determination of the product’s ownership released a statement by their founder, Ken Goldin:
“Normally, items like these can only be viewed in a museum or the Hall of Fame. We are honored to be able to make these offerings to collectors around the world.”
While Bryant has yet to speak publicly on the matter, his legal team, headed by Mark Campbell, released a brief statement: “Mr. Bryant’s personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it.”
At the heart of the dispute is a mother who has had the items for what she claims is upwards of 15 years, at a cost of $1,500 a month to store and insure them in a West Berlin location for a portion of that time.
According to the report, Pamela Bryant asked her son’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, if she wanted the items back, which was about seven to eight years ago. When Vanessa declined, Pamela moved the items to West Berlin about five years ago.
The report states Bryant’s mother is adamant that her son never asked for the items to be returned, nor did she take them without his permission.
And so we have one side of the story and a compelling one. The mother, as it seems, put up a great deal of money to store items for her son, apparently never asking for recompense.
Still, there is something to be said for asking before you sell off a piece of personal history. I am sure many of you have awards, medals and fond childhood mementos that clutter a parent’s house, or once did.
Of those, there must be a great many who never thought to ask a parent not to auction it off. Of course, we can’t all be NBA superstars—a fact that would make said mementos valuable beyond imagining.
The report states Pamela Bryant is hoping to net the $1.5 million to buy a house in Nevada, making this case far different from any that non-All-Star athletes might experience.
While parents usually hold onto these items out of fond remembrance and affection, there is very real monetary value to be had here.
But doesn’t Bryant have some say in whether his past is sold off?
Of course, many of you will demand this rich athlete never wanted his items and should have taken them out years ago. Well, we all need to head to the old stomping grounds for that priceless picture you drew as a five-year-old.
Von Bergen does offer that mother and son have had a tumultuous past and reminds us neither parent was at their son’s wedding.
While Bryant is yet to comment and will more than likely keep a tight lid on the proceedings from here on out, we can assume this will be a long, drawn-out battle. Kobe is as stubborn as any on the court.
The report issues Bryant’s legal team must answer the Goldin suit by Wednesday, just a few short days before Mother’s Day.
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Biggest Revelations from Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and D-12 Exit Interviews
With their season unceremoniously swept into the dustpan by the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ summer officially began today with the conclusion of the team’s exit interviews with the media. To say that a few nuggets of interesting info were dropped would be a bit of an understatement.
After a tumultuous season where they were constantly on the ropes, being dispatched so quickly in the first round almost felt like a sigh of relief for the team and the fan base.
There’s a generally sense that after such a disastrous season, all culminating to the moment that Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon, time off to get ready for next season is extremely desirable.
We’ve got to start out with perhaps the most important revelation of the exit interviews, and that’s Kobe’s television-watching habits since hurting his ankle.
Kobe just got into “Game of Thrones” while recovering from this injury. Gasol a huge fan, read the books. #winteriscoming
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 30, 2013
I’m certain that Gasol is a fan of the King in the North as just a knee-jerk reaction, but Kobe seems to be a Stannis Baratheon kind of guy, perhaps even more of fan Daenerys.
That’s something I’ll wrestle with myself a little bit later, let’s move on.
Kobe’s health was a small topic of discussion for the exit interviews, Bryant both dispelling the notion that he played too many minutes this season, and then asserting that he would be back and ready to play on day one.
Kobe: “Do you think Mike really can keep me in or out of a game?”
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) April 30, 2013
Kobe confident he will be ready for season opener.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) April 30, 2013
Aside from that, there were two other things that Bryant was adamant about moving forward: Los Angeles is the place for Dwight Howard, and he wants to continue to play alongside Pau Gasol.
Kobe on Dwight re-signing: “I hope he does … I think Los Angeles is the perfect spot for him to assert himself.”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 30, 2013
Kobe says he would love to see core guys back and has been clear with Mitch he wants Pau back.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) April 30, 2013
As far as Gasol coming back is concerned, Pau addressed the fact that there is definitely some uncertainty, but continued to reiterate that he would rather stay in Los Angeles than start over somewhere else.
Pau Gasol on his uneasy Lakers future: “It’s not ideal, but I accept it … There’s a possibility that I could be gone”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 30, 2013
Gasol: “It would be difficult if (Game 4) was my last game just because of the way I feel about the team, the city, my time here.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 30, 2013
Steve Nash, who conducted his interview yesterday, expressed his disbelief at the bad luck that the team had this season.
Nash on this season, “Craziest injury season I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to find an identity. We all wanted more.”
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) April 29, 2013
He was also right there with everyone else in the hope that Howard would return for the 2014 season, hoping that the team will end up sticking together.
Nash: “I’m very hopeful that Dwight will be back. I think this is the place for him. I’m hopeful he sees it that way.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 29, 2013
Finally we got around to the good stuff, a conversation with Dwight Howard that will likely be dissected for weeks to come.
Howard addressed his back, which he admitted was a problem throughout the season.
Dwight: “My back was in pain the whole year. I came back 5-6 months early and I did that for this team and this city.”
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 30, 2013
Dwight said he hopes he doesn’t have to have surgery but will know this week.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 30, 2013
The first “shots fired” moment of the day came when Howard gave his thoughts on how well Mike D’Antoni did with the parts he had to move around.
It seems as if he was definitely more critical of D’Antoni than anybody else throughout the day, and his comments were much more pointed directly toward the negative than his teammates’.
RT @serenawinters “We have a lot of old guys so it was tough to do a lot of the things that Mike wanted us to do.” – Dwight Howard
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 30, 2013
Dwight on D’Antoni: “We had to sell out to whatever he wanted, whether we liked it or not”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 30, 2013
Through most of those first two quotes everything that Howard said was completely defensible, as it’s what a lot of us were saying for most of the year.
However, once he chucked out, “Whether we liked it or not,” it was evident which camp Howard was in with regards to D’Antoni.
Howard got the question about his attitude as well, which he was given guff about all throughout the season.
Dwight: “If I want to smile and be a big kid, I’ll smile and be a big kid. There’s nothing wrong with that”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 30, 2013
On where he planned on playing next season, Howard expectedly dodged the subject.
Dwight on his free-agent future: “I’m focused on me and making the best decision for me, and that’s not going to be today.”
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) April 30, 2013
However, he did pretty much sum up his first-year experience in Los Angeles in a single, succinct quote.
Dwight on playing in LA “It’s the best place to play when you’re winning. When you’re losing, it’s not so good.”
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) April 30, 2013
This was the transition between the end of a monumentally disappointing season and one of the most uncertain offseasons in Lakers history.
While there were definitely more questions posed than answered here, it seems as if we’ve got a good starting point to derive what will happen in the next few months in Los Angeles.
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Dwight Howard ejected, Kobe Bryant appears
This is just bizarre. Dwight Howard has most likely been ejected from his last game ever in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Is this the last image we will ever see of Dwight Howard in a Lakers uniform? The post Dwight Howard Leaves, Kobe Bryant Returns appeared first on Ride The Pine.
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Nike Releases Goose-Bump Inducing Extended Kobe Bryant ‘You Showed Us’ Ad
Kobe Bryant is out for the remainder of the Playoffs with a torn ACL, and Nike has done a phenomenal job launching a campaign entitled “you showed us.’ The campaign goes back throughout Kobe’s career and highlights his best moments with the tag-line “you showed us.” The payoff comes at the end when Nike asks Kobe: “Now, Show Us Again.” It is nearly impossible to not get chills when watching the 4 minute and 30 second piece below.
Article found on: Next Impulse Sports
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L.A. Lakers Still Hottest TV Ticket Around Without Kobe Bryant
Despite Kobe Bryant missing out on the NBA playoffs, the opening game of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs achieved the highest rating for any opening weekend game since 2003, according to Sports Business Daily.
Los Angeles’ 91-79 loss to San Antonio was never particularly competitive, and the Lakers are both without Bryant and in a disadvantageous position as the seventh seed in the Western Conference, so it is a bit surprising to see the positive ratings.
The game pulled a 4.6 overnight rating, tying the first game of the Lakers-New Orleans Hornets series from 2011 but coming well short of the 5.1 rating between the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves from back in 2003.
It’s hard to imagine that the Spurs played a huge part in the ratings boon, especially considering the fact that they were involved in two of the lowest-rated NBA Finals in the history of the Neilsen ratings service, first in 2003, and then again in 2007.
Many factors likely contributed to the high ratings. Los Angeles’ game was the only one aired on ABC on Sunday and had an advantageous afternoon spot with nothing but early-season baseball and NASCAR to compete with.
Los Angeles’ low position on the playoff totem pole could have had a bit to do with it as well. I’m sure that once Lakers fans got a look at how things were going, they decided to call around and make sure everybody else was watching. You don’t want to miss out on the historic ending to the season where the Lakers made a roaring finish to fizzle against the Spurs in the playoffs.
Kidding aside, it’s obvious that Los Angeles continues to be a huge draw, regardless of who is on the roster.
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Why the Los Angeles Lakers Should Trade Kobe Bryant
Yes, you read that headline right: It is time for the Los Angeles Lakers to part ways with Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers need to let the Black Mamba go. Giving Bryant up is the bold decision Los Angeles needs to make to revitalize a team in flux.
The Bryant era has been a strange yet incredibly productive one for the Lakers. Bryant led Los Angeles to five titles and is currently the Lakers’ all-time leading regular season scorer with 29,914 points.
In fact, Bryant is the fourth all-time NBA leader in points with 31,617, only behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan.
As remarkable as Bryant’s tenure with the Lakers has been it is time to say goodbye. Ironically, the main reason for the Lakers to trade Bryant is the same one that was supposed to buy him more time in purple and gold.
Everyone said the success or failure of the Lakers’ newly formed Big Three would determine the future of the franchise, and they were 100 percent right. Based on this season, that future should not include Bryant.
After acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the Lakers were expected to take the West by storm and become the greatest threat to the Miami Heat’s bid for repeating as NBA champions. Despite making the playoffs as an unlikely seventh seed, the Lakers’ Big Three just never clicked.
Unless the Lakers somehow pull off what would be a ridiculous upset against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs, their season will be remembered for an early coaching change, locker room turmoil and Bryant’s Twitter account.
Bryant admittedly had as prolific a season as ever, averaging 27.3 points per game, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds. But he never figured out how to play with Howard, who clearly wants to be the man on this Lakers squad.
If the Lakers are smart they will hand the keys to the franchise to Howard.
Here are the options: Howard is a 27-year-old, 6’11” Adonis who is by far the best center in basketball. During a season where he was plagued by back problems he still averaged a double-double with 17.1 points per game and 12.4 rebounds (not to mention 2.4 blocks).
Bryant may have history with the Lakers, but he is 34-years-old and is currently suffering from a torn Achilles that will probably leave him sidelined for a good portion of next season. Who knows if he will ever be the same when he comes back.
The Lakers clearly need to make some changes in the offseason. Their front office has an important decision to make. Will they center the team on a hobbled Kobe or the young and dominant Howard?
The last two games of the regular season showed what life might be like on a Howard-centric team. The sample size is way too small to draw any conclusions from, but it is telling that the Kobe-less Lakers won both games by spreading the love on offense much more.
On April 14 the Lakers beat the Spurs 91-86. Howard finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds, par for the course. Steve Blake and Antawn Jamison picked up the offensive slack with 23 and 15 points respectively.
The April 17 contest was even more indicative of a more balanced Lakers attack. Five Lakers finished in double figures (including a Paul Gasol triple-double) as the Lakers downed the Houston Rockets 99-95 in overtime.
Without Bryant, the Lakers’ offense no longer is “get the ball to Kobe and stay out of his way.” Instead, their offense runs through the big men, which creates more one-on-one post-ups and easy jumpers for Blake or Nash.
Gasol is known as one of the better passing big men in the league. Howard has also shown a willingness to give up the ball when an opening is not there for him near the basket. Only on the Lakers will you see a pick-and-roll between the power forward and the center, and only on the Lakers would it work.
The point here is that the Lakers’ offense has the potential to be much more dynamic without Bryant. The team could still use a few more defensive stoppers, but that is nothing the draft and/or free agency cannot cure.
Speaking of which, unloading Bryant’s salary would free up a lot of cap space to sign a free agent or two. Bryant is currently on the last year of his contract and will have the option to become a free agent next year. The Lakers could use this opportunity to get some value for him before he may decide to leave on his own.
Bryant will be paid $27.8 million by the Lakers this season, which according to Forbes makes him the highest-paid player in the NBA. Unloading that contract will not be easy, but there has to be a team or two with a rich owner who is willing to take a chance on an ailing Bryant’s return to glory.
The Lakers could dip into the 2013 free agency pool and sign, say, an Andre Iguodala who would fit in well with a new, balanced system.
Anyone who thinks trading Bryant sounds crazy needs to think long term. If the Lakers want to build a real contender then they need to hand the reigns to Howard and amicably part with Bryant.
This is not personal—it is strictly business. The Lakers’ investment in Bryant is about to stop returning a profit. To maximize future success, Los Angeles needs to transition from the Bryant era to the age of Howard.
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Kobe Bryant Disappoints Nation, Will No Longer Tweet During Lakers Playoff Games
Kobe Bryant will now deprive the entire world of the best part of current Lakers games: his tweets.
The Black Mamba’s posts to Twitter were noticed by just about everyone remotely interested in the NBA playoffs this weekend, and even managed to catch the attention of coach Mike D’Antoni.
Proving once again to be far more than a regular man, Bryant is somehow becoming a distraction as he elevates his leg in bed, so he is going quiet.
Mamba out.
As was reported by the LA Times’ Bill Plaschke, Bryant was quite the Chatty Cathy on Twitter during the Lakers eventual loss to the Spurs on Sunday. Coach Vino became Fan Vino, a transition that had fans laughing and one particular coach rolling his eyes.
It was cool. It was insightful. It was a bold new testament to social media’s ability to connect the commoner with royalty.
If you believe Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni‘s rolled eyes afterward, it was also annoying.
“It’s great to have that commentary,” said D’Antoni bitingly.
He added, “He’s a fan right now, he’s a fan, you guys put a little more importance on that kind of fan. He gets excited, he wants to be part of it, I don’t blame him, it’s good.”
D’Antoni may not enjoy the tweets, but I join the multitude of observers who do, because while the Lakers season comes to an assumed end shortly, we might as well have as much Mamba as we can get.
Bryant, of course, heard D’Antoni‘s little jab about being a “fan,” and replied in kind.
One lighthearted exchange, and we have reactions from the likes of SLAM Online, SI.com, Yahoo! Sports and many others.
Perhaps there is some credence to this distraction talk.
Still, and this is coming from a Lakers homer, Bryant’s tweets are by far the most interesting aspect of a season gone awry.
The Lakers, a team that was supposed to waltz to the finals at the beginning of the season, are now counting on Steve Blake to put up non-Steve-Blake-like numbers and for Pau Gasol to do his best impression of Magic Johnson for the rest of the postseason.
As you can see, none of that is a perfect recipe for success, so time is limited on this iteration of the purple and gold.
With time running out on a tumultuous season, I say give us more Bryant.
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Kobe Bryant isn’t tweeting during Lakers games anymore
Citing its potential for distraction, Kobe agrees to lay off the tweets.
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