On Super Bowl Sunday in 2017, a pair of thieves broke into Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia and stole priceless Kobe Bryant memorabilia, including a state championship trophy and net from the game, along with a replica Kobe Bryant jersey that had been framed. Two suspects were caught on tape, but they have yet to be identified, and until recently, none of the stolen items had been recovered.
The framed jersey was never worn by Bryant while he was in school – but it eventually ended up in the hands Chinese superfan and collector Liu Zhe. According to ESPN, Liu paid approximately $2,000 to acquire the jersey, but once it arrived he realized it may have been the very same jersey swiped from Lower Merion.
Via ESPN:
“Liu had intended to return the uniform to Bryant in person when the former Lakers star visits Shenzhen, China, on Saturday to announce the draw for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
However, after connecting with a representative for Lower Merion’s basketball team through its Instagram account, Liu agreed to mail the uniform back to the school.
He asked for no compensation in return — other than hoping that Bryant would be alerted that the jersey had been recovered.”
The jersey will once again be put on display at Lower Merion, and the local police department is still trying to track down the rest of the stolen gear.
You can read the entire story here.
