Due to a rift with his parents over his marriage to Vanessa Laine which stemmed from various disagreements, Kobe Bryant's parents chose not to attend their son's wedding. This strained relationship led to Joe Bryant, Kobe's father, not attending any games during the Finals.
In 2013, Kobe Bryant's parents put up for auction his high school uniforms and two rings from the 2000 Lakers championship, which he had given them as gifts. Kobe was deeply hurt by this and attempted to sue the auction company. It later emerged that his parents intended to use the money to purchase a new home.
In that heart-breaking letter, he wrote, “The most important advice I can give to you is to make sure your parents remain PARENTS and not managers. Trust me, setting things up right from the beginning will avoid a ton of tears and heartache, some of which remains to this day.”