LeBron James caused problems in the past for the NBA with his political protests.
James’ antics have driven fans away as evidenced by plunging ratings in reaction to James and others turning the NBA into a showcase for their woke politics.
And now the NBA just made this jaw-dropping decision about banning LeBron James.
James once again put the NBA in a difficult spot by violating the league’s COVID health and safety protocols by attending an event to promote a brand of tequila just before the start of the Lakers’ first round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
According to the letter of the law, the NBA should have forced James into a mandatory 14 day quarantine period, which meant James likely would have missed the entire first round series.
The NBA lived up to legend Charles Barkley’s prediction that commissioner Adam Silver wouldn’t have the “balls” to suspend James by allowing James to play against the Suns.
In a statement, the NBA tried to defend their decision to have two sets of rules: one for LeBron James and one for everyone else.
“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 league’s statement argued. “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.”
“Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots,” the statement concluded.
This statement made no sense given that when it was reported that James had attended the event, a league official told ESPN that “it’s a violation of the agreed upon protocols.”
It would have been more honest for the NBA to say that the Lakers are a marquee franchise and James is the sport’s signature star and the league didn’t want to hurt TV ratings anymore by quarantining James during the playoffs.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
