Hassan Whiteside on stolen gun: ‘I’m glad it was recovered. It won’t happen again’

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside issued a statement in the wake of a report that his assault rifle was stolen this past summer.

According to 640 AM radio host Andy Slater, Whiteside bought a $50,000 M16 assault rifle, ammunition, a rifle bag, and a silencer at Johnson Firearms in Miami on July 5. When the Heat center got home the next day, July 6, he noticed his rifle bag and gun were missing.

After calling police, the 29-year-old Whiteside remembered that he left the rifle unattended in his unlocked car when he went back inside the gun store. His gun was later found in a stolen vehicle later that month.

“I have a license for the gun that was stolen from me over the summer,” Whiteside said in a statement issued through the team. “I should have secured it better and I’m glad it was recovered. It won’t happen again. It is now locked in a safe and I only use it at the gun range.”

According to a team spokesman, Whiteside did not violate a team rule.

Whiteside is averaging 13.9 points, 14.8 rebounds and a league-leading 3.2 blocks in 13 games this season.

This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 7:56 PM.