Lakers superstar LeBron James breached league virus protocols to appear at a promotional event for a new business venture, according to a report.
The Lakers were notified of the apparent violation by league officials, ESPN reported, but James was not suspended or made to quarantine because it was deemed the infraction wasn't serious enough to have facilitated spread of the virus.
"It's a violation of the agreed upon protocols, and, as we have in other comparable instances around the league, it has been addressed with the team," a league spokesman told ESPN, according to the report.
James appeared at an outdoor evening event for a brand of tequila he is backing, along with several other celebrities, including Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan. In a photo posted to Drake's Instagram, James poses in a large group, none wearing masks.
It's unclear whether James is vaccinated, in what has become something of a ghoulish media drama. James has declined to confirm whether he's been vaccinated on several occasions, citing privacy concerns. Teammate Dennis Schroder recently backtracked after suggesting he and James were the only Lakers who weren't vaccinated, later clarifying that he was the only one.
However, the Lakers have not yet hit the 85% threshold necessary to ease virus protocols for their traveling party, according to ESPN, meaning more than one member hasn't been vaccinated.
Attendees at the event were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test, the report said.
It was unclear whether the NBA fudged their rules to keep James available for the juicy play-in game matchup against the Warriors -- which pitted James against longtime rival and MVP candidate Steph Curry -- but there were several instances of players being made to quarantine after similar violations throughout the season. The quote attributed to the anonymous league source, however, suggests the league declined to enforce quarantines or other punishments in some cases.
But the peanut gallery on social media certainly seemed to think LeBron had gotten preferential treatment.
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