Kobe Bryant has been playing for the Los Angeles Lakers since 1996. (Photo : Reuters)
Veteran Lakers' shooting guard Kobe Bryant has listed his 8,471 square-feet property at Newport Beach for sale at a price of $6.45 million.
The mansion, which was renovated recently, has been on the market for nearly two years now and has seen its price tag slashed off up to four times. When the mansion was originally listed in Aug. 2013, its price was about $8.59 million.
In January, Yahoo! reported that Bryant was finding it difficult to sell the property, which is located in a gated Pelican Ridge neighborhood. It is unclear why Bryant wants to sell the property. According to the Daily Dot, Bryant is under contract to put the Mediterranean-styled home up for sale.
Bryant and his wife Vanessa bought the property shortly after getting married in 2001 for about $4 million. The property, which was built in 1997, covers up to half an acre and has 4 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. The home also features a movie theater, an 850 square feet gym, a hair salon reportedly built for Bryant's wife, a deep swimming pool, a spa, an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit, lush gardens and outdoor landscaping. The property, which is just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, offers an unobstructed view of the sea and the city. To top it all, the luxury home also has a wood-paneled office/library, which contains a real shark tank!
The presence of a shark tank in the office presumably used by Bryant has been the subject of much speculation by the press. But Bryant has repeatedly revealed his love for animals. Last year, he disclosed that he was inspired to perfect his fadeaway jumper after watching Discovery Channel and observing how the cheetah used its tail to balance itself in the air.
Bryant is reported to own other properties in Newport Beach. Sports pundits say the 36-year-old, who has led the Lakers to about five NBA Championship victories since he joined the team in 1996, would retire soon.
