Santa has brought a very special gift to James Harden this year: no suspension for violating the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol and contributing to his team postponing the 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, in violation of the NBA’s health and safety protocol, and was instead fined $ 50,000. Photos and a video surfaced showing Harden not wearing a mask at the party, which allegedly took place at a strip club (which Harden has denied).
Such a crime seems very serious because it seems that Harden has deliberately broken 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 premise is that discipline is defamed. It’s Christmas. It was the first crime.”
“Somehow he got lucky,” Silver said. If the game had been played, Harden would have been paid 1 game.
– Jonathan Fagian (@Jonathan_Fagan) December 24, 2020
The silver heart was softened by the Christmas holiday. And also because this was Harden’s “first offense” of the season, barely two days old.
It is never a dull moment when the commissioner joins # The Jump. Adam Silver makes his first public comment on James Harden’s penalty, why the league did not give a suspension, and postponed the Rockets-Thunder game last night: pic.twitter.com/bdFpEI4b5H
– Rachel Nichols (@ Rachel__Nichols) December 24, 2020
Harden is lucky that it’s Christmas, because of the less festive time of the year, Silver would have remembered that Harden was late to rocket training camp because he was partying without a mask in Atlanta and Las Vegas. As seen in the video And many photos of her on Instagram. If Silver had considered it and decided to suspend Harden, he would have had to spend his salary for one game, which is about $ 500,000.
Strengthen the impressive spread of cookies and milk to Santa on Christmas Eve. He has a big time left for him.
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