Kobe Bryant Divorce: Reports Indicate Wife Vanessa Files To End Marriage

Kobe Bryant’s December has already been eventful enough with the Lakers trying to rebuild their roster. Now, Bryant’s personal life has gotten a great deal more complicated.

According to TMZ, Bryant’s wife Vanessa has filed for divorce because she believes the Lakers star is cheating on her again. The site notes that the couple has no prenuptial agreement, meaning that Vanessa stands to receive a huge amount of money in any settlement.

Kobe was already facing questions about being able to focus on playing basketball thanks to the league's much-discussed interference that prevented the Lakers from trading for Chris Paul. With Bryant's window for another championship closing fast, another major distraction is the last thing he (or the team) needed.

The Bryants' marriage was major news eight years ago, when Kobe was charged with sexual assault in Colorado. Vanessa chose to stick by her husband at that time (receiving a $4 million ring for her trouble), but it appears that she has reached the limit of her patience.

According to the TMZ report, Kobe will do "whatever it takes" to preserve a marriage that's lasted over a decade and given the couple two daughters (of whom Vanessa has asked for joint custody). It's hard to imagine that battle not taking its toll on his performance on the court, Bryant's legendary competitiveness notwithstanding.

If the Lakers don't win the 2012 NBA Finals—and it would take a miracle for them to do it at this point—there will be a long list of reasons why they came up short. For many fans, though, the Bryants' divorce will be right at the top of that list.