The sneaker resale game isn't what it was a few years ago (everything is screwed up these days), but that didn't stop one man from stealing some very exclusive sneakers from an NBA legend earlier this month in hopes of winning money out in a big way.
According to ESPNone man decided to go for the fun and broke into Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway's $4.25 million Memphis home and made off with boxes of limited edition Nike sneakers said to be rare pairs “Friends and Family” and even 1 – from-1 that could fetch thousands of dollars in the resale market. Fortunately, police were able to arrest the suspect last Thursday (August 22) and announced that 42-year-old Ronald James has been charged with theft of property.
Looking more like a January 6th rebel than your everyday sneaker head, James was caught on surveillance video walking into Penny's house with a shopping cart and leaving with boxes piled higher than his height. After police released a surveillance photo of James, he was subsequently arrested and booked for the robbery.
ESPN states:
Hardaway told Memphis television station WREG this week that 26 pairs of “one-of-a-kind” Foamposite shoes had been taken from his home.
Nike's Foamposite line, made famous by Hardaway when he starred for the Orlando Magic in the 1990s, is still popular today. Hardaway and Nike still have a lucrative partnership years after the former NBA All-Star last played in the league.
Last year, Nike released the Nike Air Max Penny 1 Lester Middle School editions to honor Hardaway's high school in Memphis.
It is unclear when James will make his first court appearance in connection with the theft, and his bond has not been set. Police did not say whether they had recovered the merchandise.
While we don't know if the man was able to return the sneakers prior to his arrest or if they were recovered, one has to wonder how he knew which sneakers to buy and how it was so easy for him to pull them off. robbery. Penny can have a coat in his inner circle. I'm just saying.
What do you think of this latest sneaker heist in Memphis? Was it an inside job or did the tattooed white guy just know his sneakers? Let us know in the comments section below.