Wolves Insider: Athlete's death hits home
Sean Taylor's murder brought back scary memories for Antoine Walker, who was held at gunpoint last summer.
By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune
Last update: December 01, 2007 – 9:43 PM
Last summer, Walker and a relative were bound with duct tape by masked robbers, held at gunpoint and robbed at Walker's Chicago-area townhome. A month later, authorities charged four men with robbing Walker and New York Knicks forward Eddy Curry in separate home-invasion robberies near Chicago.
"Any time you go through what I went through, I was fortunate to get out of it, not being touched, not being harmed," said Walker, whose Mercedes, cash and jewelry were stolen. "You just lose a few personal items and you're able to move on from it. You try to live and learn, and hopefully you'll never be in that position again."
Last July was the second time Walker has been robbed at gunpoint. In July 2000, three men approached Walker, NBA player Nazr Mohammed and other members of their party as they waited for a restaurant to open in Chicago and demanded cash and valuables.
"Just one time in my home," he said. "In your home, that's different. When you hear somebody coming into your home at 1 or 2 in the morning, that's very difficult.
"It's tragic right now. A lot of robberies, a lot of people less fortunate trying to take things from athletes and entertainers. It's definitely something to worry about because we are in that profession. We make millions of dollars. We all are targets right now."
NBA security experts met with Wolves players earlier this year to train them on how to handle attempted robberies, including home invasions, and to offer common-sense tips about not flashing cash or jewelry in public.
"It's not a pleasant thing to think about," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "You never know, you just never know. It's being alert to your surroundings a little bit, being smart with how you are out in the public. It's a shame, a loss of life with a young guy like that. It's just something you hope you're never involved with."
Walker's experiences have made him wiser.
"You just have to watch yourself when you're out at night, when you're going home," he said. "If you're not living in a gated community, you're just going to have to be cautious. Everybody's going to have to invest in a major security system at home, make sure you really heighten your security there. Not everybody can afford to have 24-hour security."
Four suspects -- all from the Fort Myers, Fla., area -- were charged Saturday with the unpremeditated murder of Taylor, who was shot in his home early Monday. Detectives said the young men had tried to burglarize Taylor's house after someone bragged to them about Taylor's wealth.
"It's sad, unfortunate, just 24 years old," Walker said. "It's going to get to the point where athletes and entertainers start carrying guns, and you don't want to live that type of lifestyle. It's getting ridiculous, especially to the point where you're taking guys' lives."
Sean Taylor's murder brought back scary memories for Antoine Walker, who was held at gunpoint last summer.
By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune
Last update: December 01, 2007 – 9:43 PM
Last summer, Walker and a relative were bound with duct tape by masked robbers, held at gunpoint and robbed at Walker's Chicago-area townhome. A month later, authorities charged four men with robbing Walker and New York Knicks forward Eddy Curry in separate home-invasion robberies near Chicago.
"Any time you go through what I went through, I was fortunate to get out of it, not being touched, not being harmed," said Walker, whose Mercedes, cash and jewelry were stolen. "You just lose a few personal items and you're able to move on from it. You try to live and learn, and hopefully you'll never be in that position again."
Last July was the second time Walker has been robbed at gunpoint. In July 2000, three men approached Walker, NBA player Nazr Mohammed and other members of their party as they waited for a restaurant to open in Chicago and demanded cash and valuables.
"Just one time in my home," he said. "In your home, that's different. When you hear somebody coming into your home at 1 or 2 in the morning, that's very difficult.
"It's tragic right now. A lot of robberies, a lot of people less fortunate trying to take things from athletes and entertainers. It's definitely something to worry about because we are in that profession. We make millions of dollars. We all are targets right now."
NBA security experts met with Wolves players earlier this year to train them on how to handle attempted robberies, including home invasions, and to offer common-sense tips about not flashing cash or jewelry in public.
"It's not a pleasant thing to think about," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "You never know, you just never know. It's being alert to your surroundings a little bit, being smart with how you are out in the public. It's a shame, a loss of life with a young guy like that. It's just something you hope you're never involved with."
Walker's experiences have made him wiser.
"You just have to watch yourself when you're out at night, when you're going home," he said. "If you're not living in a gated community, you're just going to have to be cautious. Everybody's going to have to invest in a major security system at home, make sure you really heighten your security there. Not everybody can afford to have 24-hour security."
Four suspects -- all from the Fort Myers, Fla., area -- were charged Saturday with the unpremeditated murder of Taylor, who was shot in his home early Monday. Detectives said the young men had tried to burglarize Taylor's house after someone bragged to them about Taylor's wealth.
"It's sad, unfortunate, just 24 years old," Walker said. "It's going to get to the point where athletes and entertainers start carrying guns, and you don't want to live that type of lifestyle. It's getting ridiculous, especially to the point where you're taking guys' lives."
