The L.A. Lakers 14k gold & diamond championship ring that Kobe Bryant gifted to his father just hit the auction block and it's expected to bring in a QUARTER-MIL!!
Here's the deal ... 20 years ago -- following Los Angeles' title-winning '99-'00 season -- Mamba bought 2 additional rings and gifted them to his parents, Pamela and Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.
The rings are IDENTICAL to the bling Kobe, Shaq, and the rest of the Lakers squad received.
We're talking real gold and 40 diamonds on each massive ring.
Goldin Auctions -- who recently sold Pamela's ring for $206k -- is now offering "Jellybean's" ring ... and GA tells us they expect it to sell for over $250,000.
FYI, Pamela and Joe sold the rings -- along with other memorabilia -- back in 2013 for a total of $280,000.
And, get this, there's more awesome Kobe swag for sale:
- Kobe Bryant worn and signed cast from when he broke his wrist during the preseason in 1999. Expected to bring in about $20k.
- A 1996-1997 Topps Chrome Refractors Kobe Bryant rookie card (a very rare card). Expected to go for around $75k.
- A Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant signed basketball. Expected to sell for $20k to $25k.
The market for Kobe collectibles has always been high -- but right now, enthusiasts are clearly motivated and willing to shell out the big bucks to have something special in their collections to remember the NBA legend.