Houston Rockets point guard James Harden may have to sit out the team’s season opener after being caught at a strip club without a mask in violation of the NBA’s coronavirus protocols.
Video of the strip club visit began hitting social media on Tuesday, claiming that the Rockets star was cavorting at a strip club over the previous weekend, only a few days before the team’s first game.
A video of Hardon’s strip club romp was published by Black Sports Online:
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the NBA and the Rockets are mulling what to do about Harden’s violation of the league’s virus rules. Such violations can lead to fines and even a suspension, MacMahon noted.
From the NBA health and safety protocols: Failure or refusal to comply with the protocols may subject players and team staff to disciplinary action by the NBA or his or her team which may include a warning, fine, and/or suspension.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 23, 2020
Still, some claim that the video is older and not from the previous weekend at all. Presumably, that is why neither the team nor the league has officially spoken out about the incident.
Regardless, Harden has made no bones about the fact that he wants to be traded away from Houston. He has been especially upset that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta had been a supporter of President Donald Trump.
Harden has also been acting out of late, making it look like he is trying to force the team to dump him off on someone else. He missed the Rockets’ camp opening day and went to a rapper’s birthday party at a strip club instead. It was also alleged that he had “verbal confrontations” during practice and threw a ball at a teammate.
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