Knicks player Cleanthony Early shot in overnight attack

[rondohondo]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/knicks-cleanthony-early-shot-attack-strip-club-article-1.2480575

Knicks forward Cleanthony Early took a bullet in the knee early Wednesday from an armed robbery crew who stole his jewelry — including the gold caps off his teeth, police sources said.

[BitterJim]

Holy crap.  I shot to the knee could end his career, too.

[Ilikesports17]

Very sad. hope he is able to return to basketball

[bdm860]

Taking an Uber cab home, 3 cars boxed them in and at least 6 men in ski masks pop out.

That's not some scuffle at the club, or somebody jealous over a guy flashing cash and jewelry around, that sounds like a major, planned job.  Shooting him in the knee cap makes it sound personal too, as that's the way to really mess with an NBA player short of chopping off his leg.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Time for all the Knicks players to have their own personal bodyguards and what not.

[slamtheking]

Taking an Uber cab home, 3 cars boxed them in and at least 6 men in ski masks pop out.

That's not some scuffle at the club, or somebody jealous over a guy flashing cash and jewelry around, that sounds like a major, planned job.  Shooting him in the knee cap makes it sound personal too, as that's the way to really mess with an NBA player short of chopping off his leg.

wow, that's just mindboggling.  has to be someone with a grudge against him to pop him in the knee.  that's a very personal move

[saltlover]

Time for all the Knicks players to have their own personal bodyguards and what not.

I'm not sure a singular bodyguard would have been enough in this particular instance.

[CFAN38]

the fact that the car was boxed in, the amount of guys recent and the nature of the attack leaves me very suspicious that the Uber driver was not involved.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Time for all the Knicks players to have their own personal bodyguards and what not.

I'm not sure a singular bodyguard would have been enough in this particular instance.

Not on this particular instance, but if it seems like it is, a something that was orchestrated, the knowledge that he hangs out with his personal bodyguard might've been enough of a detractor of planning of doing this in the first place.

So on that alone I think there's value of having a bodyguard even if in the evaluation of an event it is deemed that having a bodyguard wouldn't have helped.

But the main point in this is that there's been two Knicks that have recently been targeted. It'd be foolish not to take precautions I think.

[CelticSince83]

the fact that the car was boxed in, the amount of guys recent and the nature of the attack leaves me very suspicious that the Uber driver was not involved.

I would imagine the turnaround from ordering an Uber to orchestrate this was too short a window.  Think it is more likely a tip-off from another patron or employee of the club. 

I agree with the insinuations that it was personal though.  I don't want to re-read the article but didn't it say they took the gold caps from his teeth but then just chucked them in the woods? 

[KG Living Legend]

 Police quickly ruled out the Uber driver.

 He was leaving Cityscapes strip club in Queen's NY, at 4:15 in the morning. Fair to say that's where the bad guys called some friends with the tip.

[slamtheking]

after reading the article it seems like the common theme here is a player out partying until the wee hours of the morning and having an excess in jewelry/gold taken.  slightly different circumstances between Derrick and Cleanthony but what's it take to get through to these kids that they're setting themselves up as targets for robbery. 

taking the gold caps was cold though.  that was done because someone wanted to make a point in addition to shooting him in the knee.

[hwangjini_1]

Time for all the Knicks players to have their own personal bodyguards and what not.

I'm not sure a singular bodyguard would have been enough in this particular instance.

Not on this particular instance, but if it seems like it is, a something that was orchestrated, the knowledge that he hangs out with his personal bodyguard might've been enough of a detractor of planning of doing this in the first place.

So on that alone I think there's value of having a bodyguard even if in the evaluation of an event it is deemed that having a bodyguard wouldn't have helped.

But the main point in this is that there's been two Knicks that have recently been targeted. It'd be foolish not to take precautions I think.

are we to assume then that if a scrub such as early needs a bodyguard, that virtually ALL nba players would need one? are we to launch 450ish or so nba players into society surrounded by one or more body guards, all armed, looking for trouble to prevent?

somehow, i dont see a solution to this, or any larger problem by going down this avenue.

[SparzWizard]

Time for all the Knicks players to have their own personal bodyguards and what not.

I'm not sure a singular bodyguard would have been enough in this particular instance.

Not on this particular instance, but if it seems like it is, a something that was orchestrated, the knowledge that he hangs out with his personal bodyguard might've been enough of a detractor of planning of doing this in the first place.

So on that alone I think there's value of having a bodyguard even if in the evaluation of an event it is deemed that having a bodyguard wouldn't have helped.

But the main point in this is that there's been two Knicks that have recently been targeted. It'd be foolish not to take precautions I think.

Make it three with Matt Barnes confronting Derek Fisher.

[KG Living Legend]

 As far as personal attack who knows. The robber was probably just wanted to get the point across and didn't want to kill him so he shot him in the leg.
 
 Right after Christmas too.

 Unrelated story police arrested a man on 146 felony counts from posting guns and money on Instagram found hundreds of thousands of dollars of jewelry.

 When they asked his occupation, he stated thief.