LeBron James Adds Extra Home Security After Burglary Plot

Following the discovery that LeBron James was on a list of celebrity targets for home invasions, James dramatically increased his L.A. crib's security.

LAPD press conference after thwarted burglary plot
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Image via Getty/Mark RALSTON/AFP

LAPD press conference after thwarted burglary plot

Heavy lies the crown. Never is this maxim more apparent than LeBron James' first couple of weeks with the Los Angeles Lakers. After four suspects were arrested following a series of high-profile Hollywood robberies in the Los Angeles area—with victims like Rihanna, Christina Milian and Yasiel Puig—James' name was found on a list targeting 12 other celebrities, including Matt Damon and Viola Davis.

LeBron, father to three, isn't waving off the situation as lucky because the four suspects are now in custody. No, he's reportedly turned his Hollywood mansion into a bunker, adding 10 armed guards to the staff, including some off-duty police offers, TMZ says. The NBA's own security team is also involved in the plans to protect the biggest name in the league today.

The arrests and heightened security come after a mural of James was defaced over the summer shortly after he announced his decision to sign long term with the purple and gold. And it comes less than two years after James' L.A. home was defaced with racist invective. Thankfully, he wasn't home at the time, but while 10 armed security guards might sound like overkill to many of us, when it comes to your family, there's no such thing as too safe. 

James' increased security stems from his inclusion on the list of future targets for the suspected robbers, and the LAPD says there are more people at large involved with the robberies still in the area.

However, security remains important for a different reason when it comes to LeBron. As James said after the n-word was painted on his property a little over a year ago, "No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough." For a certain segment of society, that might sound self-aggrandizing, but James isn't wrong. And while the pigment of his skin doesn't appear to be the reason he was targeted by these burglars, it doesn't change the sad reality for him and his family, especially when you consider some of the vitriol he still inspires on social media.

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