(Headline USA) The NBA has taken heavy criticism for not punishing Los Angeles Lakers superstar Lebron James after he violated the league’s COVID rules, but now the basketball league is speaking out.
Controversy erupted after James was seen at an event with hip-hop artist Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan, despite NBA regulations that he avoid the contact ahead of the NBA playoff games. The NBA has kept players quarantined ahead of games as a precautionary method in light of COVID.
Houston Rockets star James Harden was fined $50,000 for a similar offense in December of last year, but James, who has been embroiled in scandal for multiple controversial comments about police, is walking away free.
After a recent viral video showed a police officer shooting a girl wielding a knife against another female, James attacked the officer.
In the wake of the conviction of officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted for murdering George Floyd, James tweeted a photo of the cop with the phrase, “you’re next.”
This is one of multiple incidents where the NBA superstar has taken controversial stances against police officers.
James later deleted the tweet but then defended himself on Twitter after a flood of criticism.
“ANGER does any of us any good and that includes myself!” James said on twitter. “Gathering all the facts and educating does though! My anger still is here for what happened that lil girl. My sympathy for her family and may justice prevail!”
NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass released a statement on Twitter Monday defending the leagues’ decision.
“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,” the statement reads. “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.”
