Sticky Fingers

Over the Christmas break someone stole my basketball.  I was at Axiom in Meridian playing ball and when I was done I walked off the court to the locker room.  I was gone a total of ten minutes at the most when I remembered I left the ball on the side of court.  By the time I got back, it was gone. Poof, no sight of it.

I asked the guys if they had seen anything, but they hadn't been paying attention so they couldn't say much.  There were a few new players I hadn't seen before who had left, so I pretty well think it's them, unless my basketball suddenly grew legs and walked off on its own.

I would like to say it would be different if the ball had been an old one that was at the end of its basketball life, but that would be a lie.  Something like this happens and you just feel violated. The person who took it knows it's not theirs, they know they stole it. The ball has my last name on it in big and small letters, MEE.

My baby had never seen concrete or asphalt close up, it was toweled off after each use and even had it's cover oiled to keep it like new.  I'm not kidding, my oldest son gave me the ball for Christmas a few years ago and it meant the world to me.

Now a few things to note for the person who STOLE my basketball.  In Idaho there is no such thing as "Finders Keepers," it's called theft, in this case it can be considered a Felony under the Idaho statutes, since by stealing my ball they are keeping be from using it for a regular activity.  Yes it's a stretch, but it could apply.

So if you see a "Spalding, Never Flat, Grip Control" basketball and it has "Mee" written on it, please ask the person who has it to return it to Axiom in Meridian.  As a matter of fact, I'm willing to give a reward to the person who has it if they return it. The reward is I won't have them arrested for theft and have to go through the whole legal process. BTW, the ball had better be in as good condition as the day you stole it.

Deep down inside, I'm hoping to find the person who stole it, with it, so I can help them find their need to visit an emergency room.

Kevin Mee