Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd confirmed that star player Luka Dončić is well after his home was burglarized on Friday. This is one of several recent break-ins of professional athletes’ homes in the past few months. Thankfully, no one was at home during the burglary and the investigation is ongoing. Items worth approximately $30,000, mainly jewelry, were stolen, as per the Dallas Morning News who obtained an internal police report. The identity of the perpetrator is unknown.
Starting from September, at least six homes of professional athletes have been broken into, including Luka’s. Among these were the homes of Mike Conley, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard, whose home was targeted on September 15, and Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks forward, whose home was broken into on November 2nd. Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes also experienced a burglary on October 6 which he found quite frustrating and disappointing.
Travis Kelce, a teammate of Mahomes, also had his home burglarized in October. On December 9, the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also suffered the same fate. The NFL and NBA both issued memos in November regarding the increasing incidents of burglary at their players’ homes.
According to the NBA’s memo, FBI investigations have suggested that “transnational South American Theft Groups” could be behind these burglaries. The perpetrators are said to be well-organized, employing advanced techniques and technologies such as pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices. This apparent trend has led to increased concern around the safety of players and their property, particularly while they are traveling for matches.
In a separate development, Luka Dončić is currently recovering from a left calf strain. The injury happened in the game against Minnesota Timberwolves on December 25 and has led to Dončić being sidelined for at least a month. This comes as a significant setback for his team, as Dončić is one of the Mavericks star performers.
Despite Dončić’s injury, the Mavericks were able to secure a win against the Phoenix Suns in their four-game road trip which began on Friday. This win illustrated the depth of talent within the Mavericks’ squad and their ability to adapt and perform in the absence of their key player. With Dončić’s recovery and the investigation into the burglary ongoing, the Mavericks will be hoping for more good news in the coming weeks.
