The NBA community was shaken when disturbing news broke earlier: New York Knicks guard Josh Hart had been the victim of theft of jewelry, valued at roughly $185,000. The audacity of the robbery, as well as the fact that the incident occurred around noon instead of the dead of night, has left observers stunned.
As the news of this incident broke, Hart broke his silence with a reflective message on X. He quoted the Bible verse Psalm 9:1, writing, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” The post highlights his focus on gratitude and faith, especially during the Thanksgiving season, rather than venting anger and frustration.
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The incident occurred during Hart’s stay at The Dominick Hotel on Spring Street in SoHo around 12:30 p.m. on 5th September. According to reports, the Knicks guard dropped off three watches and a bracelet inside of a duffle bag, and when he returned around an hour later, the case in the bag containing his valuables was missing.
He reported the theft on 8th September, but neither any arrests have been made nor suspect descriptions have been determined. The setting of the hotel makes this case even more confusing. The Dominick Hotel is an esteemed establishment at the intersection of SoHo and TriBeCa, and security for the hotel has been drawn much criticism for not noticing a robbery of this magnitude.
However, it seems like Hart isn’t stressing too much. Following his initial words on twitter, he reposted a fan joking that a disguised Jalen Brunson was the robber, writing, “Bro is the worst 😂😂😂.” The New York glue-guy seems to be taking this one step at a time, and clearly, isn’t too sensitive about the incident taking place.
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Ruthless Fans Poke Fun at Josh Hart’s Lost Timepieces
Fans took to social media quickly after news broke about Josh Hart’s robbery, with many zeroing in on the high-end watches stolen. Many pointed out the non-necessity of having luxury watches, with one fan commenting, “now-a-days watches…areNt needed… it’s a fashion statement… expensive ones say ‘Im a pretentious snob, rob me’.” The comment highlights the risk athletes and other rich citizens face when flaunting high value items in public.
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Others also reflected on the broader implications for personal safety, with one viewer sarcastically poking fun at Hart. “You know that things like this make me think 🤔 Are my $185K worth of watches safe when I travel?” their comment read. Despite the joke, the questions about security are valid, especially with the theft taking place at such a high-profile location.
Some focused on Hart’s choice to stay in a hotel despite already living in New York. One post read, “Why is he staying in a hotel when he LIVES IN NY? WTF,” suggesting that the decision unnecessarily exposed him to danger. It was revealed in some reports that the guard was in the Hotel to meet up with actor Ben Stiller and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning for an event.
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Many jokes also joked about his teammates. Apart from the Jalen Brunson comment that Hart already responded to, one fan playfully wrote, “@joshhart don’t have any proof, but your buddy @mikal_bridges has been stealing everything lately.” This was a clever pun; Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has been having a standout defensive season this year, recording 2.1 steals per game, the third highest in the league.
Finally, some just joked about how little the loss of the watches would inconvenience a multi-millionaire like Hart. One comment read, “Great! Now he don’t know what time it is😠,” sarcastically poking fun at the fact that Hart, who has earned over $63.5 million during his time in the NBA.