Kobe Bryant may be losing his wife to a former Los Angeles gang banger-that’s the word from a snitching source who knows the NBA trophy wife.

The snitch has a brother who briefly dated Vanessa Bryant, a former hip-hop music video model, as a teenager. Since his release from prison, he and V.B have reportedly been spending time together-and according to the tattle, Vannie’s ex is interested in more than just walking down memory lane:

“I know how my brother feels about Vanessa - that’s his heart … and it looks like she might feel the same way about him.”

“My brother was in [prison] for 5 years … but he’s out now and he’s catching up with all his old friends - including Vanessa.” Snitching sis says that V and her recently sprung bro have been out at least five times since his release from the Big House two months ago. Given some of V’s ex’s friends, Kobe had better keep his mouth shut:

“I’m not saying that he’s in [the Mexican Mafia], but when you’re Mexican and grow up in L.A. like us - you have all kinds of homies.”