Elegant Celebrity

At the 2015 Toberman Gala to honor Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s philanthropic work, the super-team of Kobe, Joyce Sharman, Jeanie Buss, and long-time courtside ticket holder, Bob Barth, spontaneously created a duplicate live-auction package after the audience’s demand for the original item rose over $20,000.

The total dollars netted for the two packages: $43,000.

The money goes to the Toberman Center, a community program that supports at-risk people in the LA Harbor Area.

The entire evening netted $410,000 for Toberman, up from $260,000 last year.

What’s in The Package: two courtside seats to a Lakers game, a one-on-one post-game conversation with Kobe, and an iconic painting of Kobe driving the paint.

As the bidding jumped sky-high, the super-team asked the auctioneer to take a time-out as they passed around their ideas on how to maximize the intense demand.

Are more courtside seats available?

Can Kobe do another one-on-one?

Who will donate another painting?

Bob Barth gave us the inside scoop: “Kobe was the key. I walked over to him, and asked if he’d do another meet-and-greet, and he said, ‘Sure!’”

To rally the crowd, Kobe got on the mic, and emphasized the potential of next year’s team:

“The front office will do everything they can to make us better.

I’m going to be in the gym 5 to 6 hours a day.

Byron Scott will flourish in his first full season as Lakers head coach.”

Bob Barth and his friend, Ron Flury, donated both sets of courtside tickets.

In less than two minutes, the super-team completed the second package. Score! $43,000.

Quick thinking and great teamwork produced an amazing outcome for a worthy cause.

This year Toberman honored the Bryants with the Second Annual Bill Sharman Humanitarian Award for their philanthropic work.

Bill Sharman was a Celtic and Laker great, who's been inducted into the Hall of Fame twice -- as a player and as a coach. He and his wife, Joyce, have been strong supporters of Toberman.

Two extra highlights of the evening:

1. Mrs. Bryant’s dress. I’m not sure who she was wearing, but she and the dress were stunning.

2. Jeanie Buss. I found her to be bright, approachable, and pleasant, and look forwad to following her success as she leads the Lakers.