Kobe Bryant ends court battery case with confidential settlement

Kobe Bryant settled in court for a confidential amount. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant reached a confidential settlement in court on Friday for a 2005 incident in which a man sitting courtside claims he suffered severe injuries after Bryant dove into him while chasing after a loose ball during a Lakers away game in Memphis, according to an August report from The Commercial Appeal:

Last December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit agreed there were no grounds for Geeslin's claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, but sent the case back to the trial court on his assault and battery claims.

The alleged victim, Bill Geesen from Arkansas, said he felt like a "human punching bag" and was diagnosed by doctors with a bruised lung cavity. He died at the age of 49 following his 2008 deposition and his estate stepped in on his behalf. During those statements he made, Geeslin said Bryant did not apologize for "intentionally" forearming him in the chest:

"I recall a fast-paced incident seeing him come to me, running into me and then forearming me," Geeslin said in a 2008 deposition. "He intentionally forearmed me in the chest. He did not apologize. He walked away and pushed – he kind of pushed his arm toward me and glared at me and walked away."

The Commercial Appeal