NBA fines Kevin Porter Jr. as probe of Rockets’ strip club visit ends

Marc Stein: “The investigation into the Rockets’ stay in Miami is closed, I’m told, unless new information surfaces to merit reopening it.”

The NBA announced Wednesday that it issued a $50,000 fine to Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. for violating the league’s health and safety protocols. The fine results from an April 19 visit to Miami’s Booby Trap strip club, which ultimately ended with teammate Sterling Brown being bloodied in a vicious attack by others at the scene.

In its explanation, the NBA states that its protocols prohibit attending indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people or entering bars, lounges, clubs, or similar establishments. “Porter Jr. violated these rules when he attended a club in Miami on April 19,” the league writes.

Per Marc Stein of The New York Times, Brown will not be fined. “The investigation into the Rockets’ stay in Miami is closed, I’m told, unless new information surfaces to merit reopening it,” Stein writes.

Brown’s agency representation at Priority Sports is reportedly working with a private investigator and Miami police to further investigate. There is no clear timetable for his return to basketball, and follow-up reports indicated that Brown needed heavy stitching for his facial cuts.

Porter Jr. has since rejoined the Rockets as Houston’s starter at point guard, though he missed three games due to the protocols. The related $50,000 fine effectively closes the book on his consequences.

Now 20 years old and in his second NBA season, Porter is averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 assists in 31.8 minutes per game with the Rockets.

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