LeBron Violates COVID Protocols: LeBron James was found to have violated the NBA’s health and safety protocols last week, as he was at a promotional event for a tequila brand he supports with Drake and Michael B. Jordan among those in attendance.
That got many NBA fans up in arms about how James wasn’t held accountable the same way fellow superstars James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were when they were found to have been in violation of the health and safety protocols earlier this season.
NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass provided a statement in response.
“To clarify any remaining misconception, LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result. Under these circumstances and in consultation with medical experts, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary. Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league’s Health and Safety Protocols, which were addressed with the player’s team in a similar fashion.
Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots.”
It’s also still a mystery as to whether or not James has received the vaccine, as he chucked in response to a question posed by a reporter on if he received the vaccine or not, saying “It’s not a big deal,” according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family, for the majority — for 99.9% of that,” James said. “So it’s about the health and safety of my family, and that’s what it came down to.
“Me being available to my teammates on the floor is me taking care of my body. Me doing everything I can do to make sure I’m available both mentally, physically and spiritually, as well. But anything of that nature, that’s all family talk.”
Whether or not James has received the vaccine, he does have a right to keep that private and only inform those close to him like he said.
Despite being found to have been in violation of the league’s health and safety protocols, James was able to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, as they took a loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their best-of-seven playoff series.
James has been dealing with a high right ankle sprain injury since March, as he’s currently trying to fight it off as he and the Lakers hope to bring home a second straight championship.
Nobody is invincible, but if there is a human that can withstand pretty much anything thrown his way, it’s LeBron James. That mindset doesn’t apply when it comes to COVID-19, however, as although James can probably beat the virus pretty easily if he were to test positive for it, he could still spread it to others if he isn’t careful.
