Kobe Bryant memorabilia returned to family after stranger bought abandoned storage locker
Nancy Dillon
An abandoned storage vault containing highly personal Kobe Bryant memorabilia was sold to a stranger at auction — but now the precious possessions are back with the late NBA star’s family.
Widow Vanessa Bryant brokered a deal to reclaim the items from “Storage Wars” star Rene Nezhoda, who acquired them from the auction winner for around $13,000, he said.
“Everything has been worked out. A number of personal items, worn items and paperwork were sold directly back to the Bryant family,” Nezhoda said in a statement to the Daily News.
Nezhoda said in a YouTube video that the neglected and foreclosed locker previously belonged to Derek Roche, a celebrity stylist who also worked with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj.
Kobe Bryant items
Kobe Bryant items
Nezhoda said he planned to reach out to Vanessa to negotiate a private transaction for the most “sentimental” stuff and likely would try to sell some of the remaining, unworn items through Heritage Auctions.
The treasure trove included dozens of pairs of shoes, Lakers jerseys, game-issued warm-up gear, two fur coats, paperwork bearing Bryant’s name and a Lakers all-access badge emblazoned with his “Mamba” nickname.
Two youth-sized jerseys with the names “Gianna” and “Natalia” printed on the back likely were worn by Bryant’s daughters in a photo shoot, Nezhoda said.
“A buyer in Los Angeles originally bought the locker for $375. It turns out it belonged to someone who worked with Kobe. None of the stuff was reported stolen,” Dan Dotson, another “Storage Wars” star, told The News.
Kobe Bryant sneakers
Kobe Bryant sneakers
Bryant, 41, died Jan. 26 when the helicopter he was riding in encountered dense fog on the way to a youth basketball game. The Sikorsky S-76B slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., at a high rate of speed and burst into flames, officials said.
The Lakers legend was traveling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, two of her eighth-grade teammates, a coach and the girls’ families on their way to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.
Kobe Bryant was posthumously elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame less than three months after his tragic death in a helicopter crash. Bryant, along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and six others, will live out as basketball legends in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. To celebrate, take a look back at the legendary player's career.
Kobe Bryant, 17, jokes with the media as he holds his Los Angeles Lakers jersey during a news conference in Inglewood, Calif. on July 12, 1996.
Kobe Bryant dunks the ball at his Lower Merion, Pa. high school gym during a practice Friday, Jan. 19, 1996.
Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal (right) and guard Kobe Bryant confer during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California on Dec 8, 1996: The Lakers won the game, 110-86.
Kobe Bryant looks to pass the ball during the McDonald''s All-American at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Mar 31, 1996.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant is heckled by teammates as a television cameraman adjusts a microphone on his jersey for an interviewed during the Lakers? Media Day at the Forum in Inglewood, California on Monday, Oct. 14, 1996.
Kobe Bryant, of the Los Angeles Lakers, holding the trophy for winning the NBA Slam Dunk contest at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 8, 1997.
19 Dec 1997: Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a basket during the Lakers 118-93 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.
The 2-ball team with Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (C) and Lisa Leslie (R) sit on the bench with their coach Magic Johnson (L), the three-time Lakers' Most Valuable Player, while attending the inaugural Nestle Crunch All-Star 2-ball competition, which was held as part of the 1998 All-Star Weekend in New York on Feb. 7, 1998. The Los Angeles team finished fifth in the eight team competition.
Scottie Pippen (L) and Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls try to stop Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers (C) as he leads a fast break during a Feb. 1, 1998, game in Los Angeles, Calif. Bryant and three other Lakers scored 20 or more points, leading their team to a 112-87 win.
Guard Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Feb. 16, 1999. The Lakers defeated the Hornets 116-88.
Kobe Bryant is pictured at the 1999 Euro ABC Camp in Berlin, Germany on July 7, 1999.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant shoots over New York Knicks' Patrick Ewing during the first half of their game Sunday, March 28, 1999, in Inglewood, Calif. The Lakers won the game 99-91.
Los Angeles Lakers' Tyronn Lue, left, Kobe Bryant, center, and Brian Shaw are all smiles as they watch their teammates play the Washington Wizards in the second quarter Friday, March 23, 2001, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant points at teammate Robert Horry, not shown, during their 98-82 loss to the New Orleans Hornets, Friday, Dec. 13, 2002, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O'Neal celebrate after winning Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, in Los Angeles on May 4, 2002.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant goes up for a basket against the New York Knicks during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game at the Staples center in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2003.
Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant share a laugh on the bench while their teammate take on the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter Tuesday, April 15, 2003, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Bryant scored a game-high 32 points and O'Neal finished with 19 to help defeat the Nuggets, 126-104.
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, left, shakes hands with general manger Mitch Kupchak after signing his contract during a news conference Thursday, July 15, 2004, at the team's training facility in El Segundo, Calif. Bryant chose the Lakers over the Clippers, remaining with the team he joined in 1996 at age 18 and later helped win three NBA championships.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) drives around the defense of Houston Rockets' Stromile Swift, left, during the fourth quarter of NBA basketball action, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, in Los Angeles. The Rockets won 76-74.
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant directs his team during the first half against the Detroit Pistons in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant smiles at 19-month-old Anne Raegan during a visit to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday April 3, 2005. The Lakers were in Memphis to play against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant is out with a leg injury.
Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant smiles as he talks about his 81-point game Sunday against the Toronto Raptors at Lakers headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, reacts with teammate Kwame Brown during the second half of basketball action at New York's Madison Square Garden in 2006. Bryant scored 40 points as the Lakers won the game 130-97.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant speaks during a news conference Monday, May 8, 2006, in El Segundo, Calif. The Lakers lost a playoff series after holding a 3-1 lead for the first time, and the Suns became just the eighth NBA team to rally from such a deficit.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) looks to get by Dallas Mavericks defender Devin Harris, background, during NBA basketball action in Dallas, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006. Bryant had 24-points in the 102-87 loss to the Mavericks.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers holds up his MVP trophy after the NBA All-Star game against the Eastern players in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant reacts after the Lakers failed to get a shot off in the final seconds of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles, on March 28, 2008.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after making a three-point basket during the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Wednesday, April 23, 2008, in Los Angeles.
Western All-Star Shaquille O'Neal (32) of the Phoenix Suns and Western All-Star Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers share the MVP award from the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009, in Phoenix.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant holding the Larry O'Brien championship trophy and finals MVP trophy after the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Game 5 of the NBA basketball finals, in Orlando, Fla. on June 14, 2009.
President Barack Obama stands with Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 25, 2010, during a ceremony honoring the 2009 NBA basketball champions Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe Bryant holds up the MVP trophy after the NBA basketball All-Star Game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. The West won 148-143.
Lebron James, left, and Kobe Bryant pose with their gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on Aug. 12, 2012.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, fist-bumps his daughter Gianna after the last NBA basketball game of his career, against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, in Los Angeles.Bryant scored 60 points as the Lakers won 101-96.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant smiles during the first half of Bryant's last NBA basketball game, against the Utah Jazz in Los Angeles on April 13, 2016.
Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant poses with his family during an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. The Lakers retired Bryant's No. 8 and No. 24 jersey during a halftime ceremony.
Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant laugh as they attend the unveiling of a statue of O'Neal in front of Staples Center, Friday, March 24, 2017, in Los Angeles.
Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant watches a tribute video with his family during an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. The Lakers retired Bryant's No. 8 and No. 24 jersey during a halftime ceremony.
Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch during the U.S. national championships swimming meet Thursday, July 26, 2018, in Irvine, Calif.
Kobe Bryant, winner of the award for best animated short for "Dear Basketball", poses in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Kobe Bryant attends the 2018 Baby2Baby Gala on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 in Culver City, Calif.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Connecticut and Houston, Saturday, March 2, 2019, in Storrs, Conn.
Kobe Bryant, right, and Vanessa Laine Bryant arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Kobe Bryant present the Arthur Ashe award for courage at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
All nine people aboard the doomed chopper died, leading to a string of lawsuits against the helicopter company, the pilot’s estate and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
