Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron
James reportedly won’t be suspended after he violated the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety
protocols this week when he attended a promotional event for Lobos
1707 Tequila.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported Saturday
that James, an investor in the brand, went to a photoshoot alongside
rapper Drake, actor Michael B. Jordan and others before the Lakers’
play-in game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, which they won 103-100 thanks to a three from the four-time MVP inside the final minute.
“It’s a violation of the agreed-upon protocols, and, as we have in other comparable instances around
the league, it has been addressed with the team,” a league
spokesman told ESPN.
It’s unclear whether James faced any
league or team punishment for the protocol violation, but he was
allowed to play against the Warriors, and according to Bill Oram of The Athletic, his availability is not in question for Game 1 of the Lakers’ first-round series
against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Per Oram, “The nature of the event—outdoors, testing/vax requirement plus no known exposure—make it a lesser violation.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirmed James won’t be suspended by the NBA after the violation.
All invitees to the event had to
produce a COVID-19 vaccination card or proof of a negative test in
order to take part, per McMenamin.
James hasn’t
commented on the matter.
He was limited to four appearances
over the final two months of the regular season while recovering from
a high-ankle sprain. It was part of an injury-plagued stretch for the
Lakers, who played without Anthony Davis from Feb. 14 through
April 22 because of calf and Achilles ailments.
L.A. was also without Dennis Schroder
during the latter stages of the regular season as he sat out from
April 30 through May 15 while going through the COVID-19 protocols.
All of those absences were a factor in
the Lakers tumbling down the Western Conference standings and ending
up in the play-in tournament. Their win over the Warriors earned them
the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, James was asked Friday
whether he’d received a COVID-19 vaccine to limit his
chances of missing time during the playoffs because of the league’s
protocols. He declined to answer, saying that’s a private family
decision and “not a big deal”:
“Anything I do off the floor is
predicated to my family for the majority or 99.9 percent of that.
It’s about the health and safety of my family. That’s what it came
down to. Being available to my teammates on the floor is about taking
care of my body and me doing everything I can to make sure I’m
available both mentally, physically and spiritually as well. But
anything of that nature is all family talk.”
L.A. head coach Frank Vogel confirmed
the team hasn’t reached the 85 percent threshold necessary to loosen
coronavirus restrictions but didn’t elaborate beyond that, saying
he’s “hopeful” they hit the mark.
Tip off for Game 1 between the Lakers
and Suns is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
