NBA Player With $45 Million Salary Locked Out Of Jewelry Store: John Henson Calls Schwanke Kasten Jewelers Racist On Instagram

John Henson can often be seen battling for the basketball in games like a recent preseason game against the Chicago Bulls. Henson wears #31 and plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, and according to ESPN, Henson recently signed a four-year extension deal worth $45 million. However, according to Henson, none of that mattered when he pulled up to Schwanke Kasten Jewelers to look for a watch.

Henson’s recent Instagram post is getting plenty of attention, as Henson describes the ordeal he went through after pulling up to Schwanke Kasten Jewelers. Because of what John wrote that he experienced, the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers Facebook page is getting an earful from folks who don’t like the way Henson says he was treated. On Instagram, the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers account is private. Henson’s Instagram post quickly swelled to nearly 3,000 likes and gained more than 700 comments in the two hours since John published his ordeal while simply trying to shop for a watch.

“Went to @schwankekasten jewelry today in White-Fish Bay during regular business hours. They locked the door and told me to go away. After I rang the doorbell twice everyone went to the back. No [one] answered the door or told me what was going on. This was followed by two police cars pulling up and parking across the street and watching me for 5 minutes ( I assumed they were called by the store ).”

Henson goes on to describe being approached by two police officers, whom John says then questioned the vehicle he was driving. Henson says he received the vehicle as part of his endorsement deal with Kunes Country Chevrolet Cadillac of Wisconsin. The police asked Henson other questions not relevant to Henson being there, he wrote, finding it ludicrous since Henson was just trying to shop like any other normal paying customer.

“I told them I was just trying to look at a watch. He then had to go in the back and tell them to come out it was safe but this is after they ran my plates and I overheard them talking about doing more of a background check on the car.”

John Henson then writes that the jewelry store employees came out of the back where they had hidden, after being prompted by police, and proceeded to conduct business — but not after giving Henson what he calls one of the most racist experiences he’s ever had.

“This was one of the most degrading and racially prejudice things I’ve ever experienced…This store needs to be called out…You have no right to profile someone because of their race…this incident needs to be brought to light and I urge anyone who ever is thinking of shopping here reads this and doesn’t bring any business to this discriminatory place.”

With more than 52,100 Instagram followers reading the tale of how his shopping trip turned into a police event, John Henson is experiencing the effect of the attention he wanted to bring to Schwanke Kasten Jewelers. According to the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers website, they are a locally-owned business that’s been around since 1899. Their “professional sales team” and on-site gemologists, goldsmith, watchmaker and engravers are likely feeling the heat of the attention that Henson’s Instagram post is bringing the store. According to Henson, it was the Whitefish Bay store that closed his doors to him as he attempted to shop at the location.

Henson’s record of being locked out of the Schwanke Kasten Jewelers store is somewhat reminiscent of the time that Oprah Winfrey wasn’t allowed to shop at Hermes, as reported by the Washington Post. No doubt, after this much buzz from John Henson’s Instagram post, the folks at Schwanke Kasten Jewelers are probably wishing they would’ve let Henson inside.

[Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images for Up2Us]