MIAMI — What could be one of the largest sports memorabilia heists in U.S. history is now under investigation, with millions of dollars in stolen NBA Finals gear allegedly tied to the Miami Heat.
Amin Elhassan, an NBA insider and former team executive, revealed the alleged theft during a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show.
“Sold for many, many, many millions of dollars, perhaps one of the largest heist of this kind,” Elhassan said.
According to Elhassan, authenticated NBA Finals collectibles belonging to the Heat were stolen and sold over a span of at least 18 months — both on the open and black markets.
“As it was described to me, this is one of the largest, if not the largest, memorabilia heists in the history of this country in any sport,” he added.
Experts say the financial value of the missing items could be enormous.
An FBI spokesperson did not confirm or deny an active investigation, saying they only do that when they’re asking for public assistance.
Travis Nichols, director of operations at The Collectors Club in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, said even individual jerseys can be worth six figures.
“I’ve seen jerseys like that go for tens of thousands of dollars. Upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars, easy,” Nichols said.
With more than 20 years of experience in the collectibles industry, Nichols explained that memorabilia is difficult to track, making it easy to sell stolen items undetected.
“I could post this on eBay and sell it piece by piece. If the theft was unnoticed, the sale may go unnoticed,” he said.
The team declined to comment on the alleged heist, issuing only a brief statement:
“We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.”
Elhassan also alleged that a Miami police officer may be involved.
Local 10 News is working to verify that claim and has reached out to the department for comment.
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