New York Knicks player Cleanthony Early has been shot in the leg as he left a strip club by masked robbers who demanded his "gold".
Early left CityScapes in Queens with his girlfriend at about 4:30am on Wednesday in a cab when the vehicle was surrounded by at least two other cars and as many as six men got out, the two law enforcement officials said.
Early handed over two gold chains before he was shot in the right kneecap, the officials said. The men drove off.
The cab driver and Early's girlfriend were uninjured, and the driver was robbed only of his identification. Early, 24, was hospitalised in a stable condition.
The two law enforcement officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release the victim's name.
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The team said in a brief statement that it was aware of an incident involving Early and "relieved that he is not in a life-threatening situation."
Police were searching for suspects and trying to determine if it was a carefully planned attack or a spur-of-the-moment hit.
The theft comes about 10 days after Knicks forward Derrick Williams was robbed of $US617,000 ($A845,400) in jewellery from his home. He took home two women from a Manhattan club. Police are still looking for suspects.
