The NBA's protocols regarding COVID-19 have been a sensitive topic all season long. With the playoffs in full force, questions have arisen after the league decided not to fine or suspend Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for a potential violation of protocols after attending an outdoor gathering. Then came the news on Tuesday that the league fined Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis for violating the protocols.
However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA issues a statement saying the two instances are different.
When reached for comment on difference between Porzingis-LeBron James‘ situation, NBA spokesman Mike Bass: “While we understand the inclination to compare this incident to protocol violations by other players, including LeBron James, those facts are very different." Statement: pic.twitter.com/MxbeDkVQz4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2021
How are they different? Well, who knows anymore. The NBA seems to be digging a bigger and bigger hole each time. They faced criticism for not suspending or fining LeBron James. After the recent fine for Porzingis, they will surely face some backlash after throwing this situation into even more confusion.
What's more confusing is that Porzingis was fined for violating the rule, while James was not fined for such violations.
Dallas Mavericks’ Kristaps Porzingis has been fined $50,000 for violating the rule prohibiting players from going into bar, club, lounge or similar establishment regardless of vaccination status, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Porzingis attended a club on Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2021
So, in theory, it's bizarre, and the NBA has confused everybody. It's not a good look for the NBA as a whole, and a bit of clarity needs to be made regarding the protocols. Thankfully vaccinations are ramping up across the country as everybody tries to get back to normal, so this shouldn't be an issue long-term.
In the meantime, it's a huge headache, and while Porzingis just received a fine and not a suspension, it's still frustrating and confusing how they handle these ‘case-by-cases' instances.
As the playoffs continue to push forward, it will be interesting to examine how the NBA handles different situations such as these, especially considering they don't want to lose any star players in the midst of the postseason.
Nonetheless, clarity is needed, and this latest situation puts it into flux even more. What will the NBA do going forward?
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