NBA: Lakers’ LeBron James Attending Outdoor Event Didn’t Create COVID-19 Risks

The NBA released a statement Monday addressing LeBron James' violation of the league's health and safety protocols.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin first reported the Los Angeles Lakers star attended a promotional event for a tequila brand in the days before the team's play-in game against the Golden State Warriors on May 19. Drake and Michael B. Jordan were among those at the event.

NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass followed up Monday to say the four-time MVP "briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result."

Upon looking into the matter more, the NBA determined James didn't need to quarantine away from his team because "it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19."

Speaking with reporters last week, James declined to specify whether he had received the COVID-19 vaccine and said, "It’s not a big deal."

The NBA ended Monday's statement by saying that players who have received the vaccine are afforded more latitude in terms of taking part in events and activities away from the court, including sponsor appearances and ad shoots.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports was among those to infer the statement confirmed James' vaccination status.

Bass also alluded to "similar violations ... which were addressed with the player's team in a similar fashion."

The timing of McMenamin's report raised some eyebrows as it came on the eve of Los Angeles' first-round playoff series with the Phoenix Suns. James would've missed multiple games and potentially the majority of the series if he had had to fulfill a quarantine of at least 10 days.

Instead, the 17-time All-Star took the court and finished with 18 points, 10 assists and seven steals in a 99-90 defeat in Game 1.

The Lakers will look to even things up Tuesday night in Game 2.