It looks like Kobe Bryant is a free man. Free, that is, of three gigantic pieces of property which are now part and parcel of Vanessa Bryant's holdings in the divorce settlement. Let this be a lesson to the members of the NBA who have been coveting the LA Lakers' star's title as best paid player in the league!
When you're making $25.2 million a year and you have a $90 million extension to keep you with a team through the 2013-14 season, it may put you in the top 15 richest celebrities in the world. But you know what they say about the grass always being greener? It also means you have a lot more to lose when your teammates' wives tell the mother of your children that you've been cheating on her -- especially if you don't have a pre-nup.
The story has it Vanessa was able to construct her case against her philandering basketball husband thanks to the loose lips of his teammates, whose wives came straight to their girl to keep her apprised of the situation. And now he'll have to find a new place to live in the LA area to show up at the Staples Center on time for games.
Vanessa and daughters 8-year-old Natalia and 5-year-old Gianna, on the other hand, can stay in the home the whole family has shared, move into the new mansion the couple was in the midst of building pre-divorce, or go shack up with Vanessa's mom. After all, she is now the proud owner of all three properties, along with $75 million, which is estimated to be about half of the couple's total assets. Ouch!
But before you go feeling sorry for him (if you're the type to give a cheating husband your sympathy to begin with), even if he's lost a lot, there is always the flip side to being the best paid player in the NBA. He's still sitting pretty.
Now that the lockout's over, Kobe is expected to bring in about $20.3 million from the Lakers this year (and there's an expected escalation to the $30 million range next season). Shouldn't be too hard to find another place with that kind of cash.
Do you feel bad for Kobe or is this just karma?
Image via WDPG share/Flickr