[점프볼=한찬우 인터넷기자] A series of theft incidents are occurring at the homes of American professional sports players, including the NBA.
On the 23rd (Korean time), the American local media ‘ESPN’ covered an article that emphasized preventive measures against home invasions and thefts that occurred among athletes. Recently, Bobby Portis and Mike Conley Jr. were victims, and the NBA judged this incident to be an organized crime and began preparing measures at the league level.
Conley was accused of theft on September 16th. The Minneapolis Star Tribune, a local media outlet, reported that outsiders broke into Conley’s home and valuables, including jewelry, were stolen. At the time, Conley was away from home to watch a football game.
Portis suffered an unfortunate accident on the 3rd, the day of the home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the theft, Portis posted a video on social media showing a masked person breaking the glass door of the house. He also added that he is offering a $40,000 reward to anyone who provides information related to the case.
The NBA sent an official letter to club officials stating that the series of incidents was defined as a social crime by a specific organization. The organization mentioned is the ‘South American Theft group’, which is known to carry out crimes using cutting-edge techniques such as advance surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices. He added that the organization mainly focuses on black market items such as jewellery, watches and luxury bags.
The NBA also included prevention methods at the individual player level. It was announced that special precautions should be taken, such as installing an alarm system in the house, storing valuables in a safe, and prohibiting the publication of photos of the interior of the house on websites.
Organized theft cases aren’t just limited to the NBA.
Recently, in the NFL (National Football League), the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey of the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a series of break-ins.
Mahomes’ home was broken into on October 8th, the day of his team’s game, and Kelsey also suffered damage during a similar period. The NFL is also emphasizing additional precautions for home security to players through official documents.
There is a possibility that the scope of home invasion and theft incidents occurring against professional sports players, including the NBA, will expand. The severity is expected to increase as it is not a one-time crime, but a planned crime committed by a specific organization. Accordingly, it is expected that more measures will be taken to prevent and respond to incidents among league, club officials, and players.
#Photo source=Fortis social media
