It's the end of the year, and thieves are trying to meet their targets, even stealing from NBA players' homes.
Recently, Luka Dončić's home was burglarized. Fortunately, he and his family were not at home at the time, so no one was in danger. The incident has been reported to the police, and an investigation is underway.
According to the report by the local police, an unidentified individual broke into Dončić's home between 5 PM and 9 PM by smashing a window in the main bathroom. They stole jewelry worth approximately $30,000.
Some might say that 30,000isnothingforDoncˇicˊ,whoearnsastaggering43.08 million this season. However, it's not about the money; it's about the lack of personal safety.
Before Dončić's theft, Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis was also targeted in November. Many of his valuable items were stolen, and he had to post a plea for help on social media.
The NBA has already taken measures in response to these thefts but has only issued a memo to all players as a warning. The league cannot take substantial action against such incidents.
It's no secret that the United States has poor security, and NBA players' homes have been targeted by thieves for some time. It's best not to rely too much on the police; instead, one must rely on their own luck.
Almost simultaneously, the Dallas Mavericks officially announced Dončić's injury, which is a left calf strain, and he will be out for at least a month. This means he won't be able to play in 65 or more games this season, making him ineligible for regular-season awards.
Without Dončić, Kyrie Irving quickly experienced the difficulty of carrying the team alone. He scored 46 points with 16 out of 26 shots, but the Mavericks still lost 122-126 to the 13th-ranked Western Conference team, the Portland Trail Blazers.
Klay Thompson's statistics stand out. He had the second-highest number of attempts after Irving but only managed to score the fifth-most points on the team. He shot 5 out of 17 for just 12 points, scoring fewer points than attempts.
Thompson can only occasionally show glimpses of his former glory. So far this season, he has only scored 20 points or more in five games, without any reaching 30 points. His average stats are 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1 steal, with shooting percentages of 41.6% and 38%, which are among the worst of his career.
However, considering Thompson's salary with the Mavericks, which is just over $15 million, we cannot expect too much from him. It's a case of getting what you pay for.
If the Mavericks also accept that they cannot place high hopes on Thompson, then they must also prepare mentally for the possibility that they may not reach the finals or compete for the championship this season!