It Pays To Be An NBA Wife
By Amber Eberle (Clubben.com)

This week reports were leaked about the divorce settlement between NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his soon-to-be ex-wife Vanessa Bryant. Sources have said that Vanessa Bryant is walking away with an estimated $75 million dollars, including ownership of three mansions located in the Newport Beach area. This is approximately half of the estimated $150 million in assets that Kobe and Vanessa have amassed during their marriage. The couple wed 10 years ago when Vanessa was 18 and Kobe was 21, and they have two children together.

The couple made headlines in 2003 when Kobe was accused of raping a woman in Colorado. Soon after these allegations were made public Kobe presented Vanessa with a 8 carat purple diamond ring worth $4 million- whether it was due to love, the expensive jewelry, or pressure from Kobe's PR team Vanessa 'stood by her man' through the aftermath of the alleged rape.

Since then sources close to the couple have said that Kobe has constantly cheated on his wife with a number of women. At the end of 2011 Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce in California, which is a community property state. The public loves to hear the details of the divorces of the rich and famous, and this case is no different. I have been surprised to see two distinct sides when it comes to reporting the divorce settlement information. Some people are calling Vanessa Bryant a gold-digger, while others are saying that Kobe is getting what he deserves for reportedly being a lousy husband. There seems to be little middle ground in regards to this case when it comes to the opinion of the public.

My question is- why didn't Kobe Bryant have a pre-nup in place? I know he was young when they wed, but I would think that some attorney or business manager working for him would insist that he have his wife-to-be sign one. Hopefully future professional sports stars will learn from Kobe's mistake and have a pre-nup before reciting their vows. Of course, it would be easier for sports stars to actually uphold their marriage vows, but that seems to be very hard for them to do for an extended period of time.