James Harden apparently got an early Christmas gift from the NBA.
The league has spared the Houston Rockets star suspension for attending an indoor gathering earlier this week that violated COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The NBA currently prohibits players and staff from attending gatherings of 15-plus people or entering establishments such as bars and clubs.
Harden was fined $50,000 for the violation. His actions technically warrant suspension, but NBA spared him.
Call it what you will. But for Harden, it's a Christmas miracle.
"The precedent is that discipline gets ratcheted up. It's Christmas. It was a first offense," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday on ESPN's "The Jump," as transcribed by theScore. "Frankly, to your point, the $50,000 is the limit of my authority under the collective bargaining agreement and 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 have missed a game and a paycheck."
What a lucky guy.
Still, the NBA currently requires Harden to self-isolate until Friday and continually test negative for COVID-19. Should he succeed, he'll be eligible for Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
