Hall of Fame broadcaster details how special jersey was saved from house fire

NBA broadcaster Mike Breen recently revealed that a jersey signed by the late Kobe Bryant was salvaged in last September's house fire that destroyed his Long Island home.

The Hall of Fame announcer detailed the story in an interview with Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Although Breen and his wife, Roseanne, lost clothes, NBA memorabilia and a piano among other things, nobody was hurt during the tragedy, as the house was empty.

Breen told Thompson II that he received the jersey from ESPN in 2014, in conjunction with the NBA allowing players to wear nicknames on the backs of their uniforms at the time. Because he was broadcasting a Brooklyn Nets jersey that night, the 62-year-old's custom jersey was a Brooklyn uniform that said "Gray Mamba" on the back.

Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant signed the apparel and added the message "From one Mamba to another."

The longtime voice of the New York Knicks told Thompson II that he thought the jersey was destroyed in the fire, but his wife was able to find it and have it restored.

"This sounds kind of corny but something bad really happened," Breen said, per The Athletic. "But it became this blessing because we received all this love and kindness from so many people. And it's hard to express how it feels to know that people really care about you and care about your family."

Breen will again join Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson as a part of ABC and ESPN's television coverage of the NBA Finals, which features the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat and tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.