Russ Smith victim of frame job over championship jersey
Russ Smith has enjoyed his farewell tour in the city that watched him grow into a national basketball celebrity. The graduated University of Louisville star met the mayor, attended the Kentucky Derby, had a blowout birthday bash and more.
But on Friday, Smith's happy-go-lucky final days in Louisville took an upsetting turn. The 6-foot guard, projected to be a second-round pick in next month's NBA draft, wanted to frame his 2013 national championship jersey and send it to his father. The whole get-up: game worn, sweat dried into it, ruffled and everything.
Smith took to Twitter and Instagram on Friday night to detail the disaster that ensued.
The jersey arrived at his father's home in Brooklyn, N.Y., with a crack in the frame. Smith said the framing company would exchange the frame only if the Smiths returned it with the jersey so the company could redo the job.
"So we comply only for (FedEx) to throw my jersey away and say, 'Sorry,' " Smith tweeted before venting on FedEx's official Twitter page.
"You are incredible," he tweeted to FedEx. "I am getting on a flight from Vegas to Louisville to graduate tomorrow (and) you guys have ruined that for me."
A FedEx representative said the box was discarded for safety reasons because of the broken frame and no one checked to see that the jersey was inside.
U of L trustee Jonathan Blue, perhaps suspecting another explanation, tweeted late Friday night that he would offer a $3,000 reward, "no questions asked," to anyone who returned Smith's jersey to Blue's office in Louisville.
— Jeff Greer