It took a little bit of luck, and perhaps some charity from the NBA’s league office, for Rockets star James Harden to avoid missing any games due to his latest violation of COVID-19 protocols. Assuming “The Beard” continues to test negative each day, he will be cleared to rejoin his teammates in time for Houston’s next game on Saturday in Portland.
Harden was deemed unavailable for Wednesday’s scheduled regular-season opener against Oklahoma City, but that became irrelevant since the game was postponed by the NBA due to other COVID-19 issues with the Rockets. Since Harden won’t miss any played games, he will not be subject to any further financial losses beyond a $50,000 fine.
When asked on Thursday about Harden’s lack of a suspension, here’s what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN:
The precedent is that discipline gets ratcheted up. It’s Christmas, it was a first offense. Frankly, to your point, the $50,000 is the limit of my authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
What would have happened… in a way, he got lucky. Because if the game had taken place last night, as scheduled, and he were unavailable because of his own actions, he would’ve missed a game and a paycheck. It would have ultimately turned out to be a much larger sanction. So a little bit of luck there. I’d say also, we’re just beginning these protocols, and it seemed fair in the first instance. It’s Christmas.
Adam Silver on why he didn't suspend James Harden for violating Covid-19 protocols "It’s Christmas. It was a first offense." pic.twitter.com/b5BI02egfX
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) December 24, 2020
The new protocols, which the league installed due to the pandemic, “prohibit attending indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people or entering bars, lounges, clubs, or similar establishments.”
“Harden violated these rules when he attended a private indoor party on Monday, Dec. 21,” the NBA said in its fine announcement.
Though Silver made this point, it seems to be overlooked amid reaction to him citing "Christmas." Had last night's game been played, Harden would have been docked twice as much than had he been suspended. It was postponed because others tested positive or were in quarantine.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 24, 2020
While Harden must continually test negative in order to play, that appears likely to be the case, since ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday that Harden already had COVID-19 a few months ago. The league still requires players who previously tested positive to follow its protocols, as a means of limiting potential spread to others.
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