NBA players have been put on high alert after star athletes were victims of home invasions that are believed to have been committed by individuals with tied to international crime.
Player safety has recently become a topic of conversation in the sports world, and the NBA is the latest major professional league to raise awareness as it relates to home security.
The league sent a memo to team officials after Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley were victims of home invasions. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo.
The NBA noted that the FBI believes a number of the burglaries were connected to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.”
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Conley’s home was broken into on Sept. 15 as he attended a Minnesota Vikings game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Timberwolves guard participated in the Vikings’ traditional pregame festivities as he helped fire up the more than 66,000 fans inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, but while Conley was attending the game, his home in Medina, Minnesota, several miles away, was targeted by thieves, police said.
Burglars left the property with jewelry, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported at the time.
Medina Police Chief Jason Nelson noted that Conley’s property was one of three home burglaries that authorities investigated on the same day. All the homes were unoccupied at the time the break-ins occurred.
Meanwhile, Portis said his home was broken into on Nov. 2 and has offered a $40,000 reward for information related to the incident.
Elsewhere, the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, according to law enforcement reports. The NFL issued a similar warning memo to its teams this week.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating, disappointing, but I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing,” Mahomes recently said. “But, obviously, something you don’t want to happen to anybody, but obviously yourself.”
The NBA’s memo, relaying information from the FBI, said the theft rings “are primarily focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches, and luxury bags.”
The league, which has also been giving guidance to team security personnel, recommended that players install updated alarm systems with cameras and utilize them whenever leaving the home; keep valuables in locked and secured safes; remove online real estate listings that may show interior photos of a home; and “utilize protective guard services” during extended trips from the home — and even suggested having dogs assist with home protection.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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