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Divorce could cost Kobe lots of sleep and some $70 million By Homer D. Sayson PhilBoxing.com Tue, 20 Dec 2011  I FEEL sorry for Kobe Bryant these days. Not because his beloved Lakers were unable to grab Chris Paul from New Orleans. And not because the Lakers lost Lamar Odom to Dallas for next to nothing. I feel sorry for Kobe because he is on his way to divorce court. The Lakers megastar, known for his demanding ways and stern leadership, can glue 11 other guys in his team as one unit with a singular, determined, championship purpose. Unfortunately, the great Kobe Bryant can no longer keep his marriage together. His 29-year old wife Vanessa Laine Bryant signed a divorce petition last Dec.1. Kobe, 33, signed his response six days later, signalling the end of a marriage after 10 and a half years. Just recently, the Bryants issued a joint statement saying they had "resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately." They met in 1999 on a music video shoot. She was shy and only 17. He was 21, bold and brazen, a young phenom dripping with basketball talent. Already famous then, Kobe was well on his way to four more championships, incredible fame, and untold fortune. MARRIED in April 18, 2001, the Bryants have agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their two kids -- Natalia Diamante,8, and Gianna Maria- Onore, 5. Needless to say, the divorce will give Kobe an achy-breaky heart. It will also cost him some serious money. In an interview with the LA Times in 2005, Vanessa Bryant's mother -- Sofia Urbieta Laine -- said her daughter "came home one day and said something to the effect that Kobe Bryant didn't want a prenup, that he loved her too much." In the state of California, the absence of a prenuptial agreement means that Vanessa is entitled to half of Kobe's assets, which is estimated to be somewhere around the $140 million range. According to Inside Edition, a celebrity-driven TV show, Vanessa also gets to keep their $5 million marital home and the $4 million, eight-carat purple diamond "apology ring" Kobe gave Vanessa in 2003, when the 6-foot-6 guard was charged with sexual assualt in Colorado. AND while Kobe will take a financial hit, don't expect him to fret about his future. Thanks to a fat contract extension he signed in 2010, he will make $27.4 million in 2012, $30.2 million in 2013, and a mind-boggling $32 million in the 2014 season. On top of all that cash, Kobe continues to make a killing on endorsement deals with Nike and a handful of other corporate giants. At the height of Kobe's sexual assault case eight years ago, when her husband eventually admitted to committing the "mistake of adultery," Vanessa had courageously stood by her man. So what made her throw in the divorce towel this time around? According to a New York Daily News report, rumors about Kobe's alleged infidelity sent Vanessa "packing." True or not, Kobe's personal business is his alone, not ours to pry into. And that's where we will leave the issue at. Yes, he will lose some money, perhaps lots of sleep in the months ahead. And he will undoubtedly miss the simple joys of a happily married family setting. I just hope he won't lose his sanity. In perhaps the biggest challenge of his young life, I have faith that Kobe will bounce back with the same grit and fortitude that made him reach the top of the sports mountain many times over. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.  |
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