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."
