Houston Rockets star James Harden has been fined $ 50,000 and declared “unavailable” for violating League COVID-19 protocols after the NBA reviewed a video of him spending time without a mask at the club, the NBA announced Wednesday.
The NBA made the announcement before Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed because the Rockets did not have the eight available league players needed to continue the game.
For both Harden and the Rockets, it is not yet clear how long he will not be available or whether he will face an additional penalty in the league, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Harden gave negative results for COVID-19 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a League source for Shelburne said.
Harden’s video about the party without a mask, which was posted by Black Sports Online and circulated on social networks, would have come from a Christmas party of the Houston club, organized this week.
NBA’s COVID-19 protocols prohibit players from going to bars, lounges or clubs and attending social gatherings of more than 15 people.
The league said Harden violated the rules when he attended a “private party inside” on Monday.
Harden told NBA investigators that he believes he is complying with NBA health and safety protocols, a source close to the situation told Shelburne.
Harden and several witnesses at the event told the League that he attended a dinner for a friend who had recently been promoted to work, the source told ESPN.
According to the source, Harden said that he entered through a separate entrance and that he was in a separate area of the place, with his security equipment and that he was wearing a mask. She took a picture with her girlfriend and gave her a present. Harden, the source said, also said that he left after about 30 minutes and did not continue with the group, that he left for other locations later that night.
Harden issued a statement on Instagram on Wednesday saying that “every day is something different” and that the event was not at a strip club.
“One thing after another. I went to show the housewife’s love at her event (not at a strip club) because she becomes the boss and puts her people in a successful position and now it’s a problem,” he said. Harden in the post. “Every day is something different. No matter how many times people try to get my name down, you can’t. The truth always gets to the top.”
It was unclear where Harden’s video was made. ESPN and other media reported early Wednesday that the video was made at a strip club.
Under health and safety protocols, non-compliance or refusal to comply could subject a player to disciplinary action by the NBA or its team, including a warning, fine, and / or suspension, in addition to being required to participate in a game. education or training session. . Offenders may be subject to increased discipline.
A suspension would cost Harden $ 284,517 per game, or 1/145 of his salary.
Harden, who asked to be traded, violated the COVID-19 protocols of the League during his brief suspension at the beginning of the training camp, when he attended the rapper’s birthday party. Lil Baby in Atlanta and clubs in Las Vegas. The league asked Harden to have six consecutive days of negative coronavirus testing before authorizing him to practice with the Rockets.
Sources told ESPN that Harden had COVID-19 during the summer before the resumption of the NBA season, which is why he was late to inform the ball about Walt Disney World of the league. Players who have recovered from coronavirus must continue to follow the league’s health and safety protocols.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this report.