Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will not be suspended for violating the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
James attended a promotional event for a tequila brand for which he is an investor before the Lakers’ play-in tournament game against the Golden State Warriors. Attendees had to produce proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test result and the league did not believe there was a significant risk of virus spread.
Players who fail to comply with the league’s health and safety protocol are subject to warnings, fines or suspensions. Players who repeatedly break the rules could be subject to more severe discipline.
James has declined to say whether or not he has received the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family, for the majority — for 99.9 per cent of that,” James said when asked if he has received a vaccine. “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.”
After clinching the No. 7 seed, James and the Lakers will play the Western Conference’s No. 2-seeded Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday.
