Kobe Bryant Thanks Fan For Returning Stolen High School Jersey

BYAlexander Cole1.7K Views
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Kobe Bryant
Bryant had a special surprise for the fan.

Back in February of 2017, A Kobe Bryant jersey from his playing days at Lower Merion High School was stolen from a display case at the school and then put up for sale online. In October of 2018, the jersey was purchased by Liu Zhe, a Kobe Bryant superfan who resides in China. After receiving the jersey and inspecting it, the fan realized that it matched the description of the jersey that was stolen. Zhe ended up getting into contact with the High School and sent it back to them, according to ESPN.

Bryant was so grateful for the gesture, that he made sure to visit Zhe while on a recent trip to China to promote the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Los Angeles Lakers legend took a picture with Zhe and gave him a signed poster with a picture of the two when Zhe attended Kobe's basketball camp.

"I asked Kobe, 'Do you remember me?'" Liu told ESPN. "He told me, 'Yes, thank you for returning the jersey. You did a great thing.'"

Lower Merion High School also showed gratitude to Zhe by releasing a statement thanking him for the good deed. They are also still looking for information on the person who originally stole the jersey.

"The Lower Merion School District is appreciative that the fan in China did the right thing and returned the Kobe Bryant jersey to Lower Merion High School," the school district said in a statement. "We remain hopeful that the other stolen items will be returned as well and appreciate the continued work of the Lower Merion Township police to recover the items."


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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