Santa brought James Harden a very special gift this year: no suspension for violating the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and contributing to the postponement of his team’s first game of the season.
The Houston Rockets star was not suspended by the NBA for “attending a private indoor party” with more than 15 people, which violates the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and was fined $ 50,000. Photos and a video emerged showing that Harden was not wearing a mask at the party, which allegedly happened at a strip club (which Harden denied).
Such an offense seems very serious, as it appears that Harden intentionally broke the NBA rules. So why was he not suspended? NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Thursday to explain.
Adam Silver, who appeared on ESPN, said James Harden was not suspended because “The precedent is that discipline increases. It is Christmas. It was a first offense.”
Silver said “in a way he was lucky”. If the game had been played, Harden would have received 1 payout game.
– Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 24, 2020
Silver’s heart softened with the Christmas holiday. And also because this was Harden’s “first offense” of the season, which was barely two days old.
There is never a dull moment when the Commissioner joins #The jump. Adam Silver makes his first public comments on James Harden’s fine, why the league did not issue a suspension and the postponement of the Rockets-Thunder game last night: pic.twitter.com/bdFpEI4b5H
– Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) December 24, 2020
Harden is lucky to be Christmas, because a less festive time of year may have reminded Silver that Harden was late for the Rockets’ training camp because he was supposedly at a party in Atlanta and Las Vegas without a mask, as seen in a video and several photos on your Instagram. If Silver had taken this into account and decided to suspend Harden, it would have cost him his salary for a game, which is about $ 500,000.
It is best to toughen it up by leaving Santa with an impressive array of cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. He owes him a lot.
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