Report: Rockets Working with NBA to Verify Alleged James Harden Strip Club Video
James Harden may not be on the court for the Houston Rockets' season opener Wednesday because of a video allegedly showing the All-Star at a strip club recently.
Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Rockets and NBA league office are working together to review the video that made its way around social media in recent weeks.
"If the video circulating on social media is verified to be recent, it is a violation of league's COVID protocols, which would put Harden's availability for tonight's opener in jeopardy," MacMahon wrote.
According to Rockets Wire's Ben Dubois, the video was posted Tuesday.
Harden addressed the matter on Wednesday via Instagram:
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that Harden told "NBA investigators he believed he was in compliance with NBA health and safety protocols."
While announcing the postponement of Wednesday's game between the Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the league revealed Harden had been ruled unavailable after violating health and safety protocols. Harden was subsequently fined $50,000 for violating protocols.
Earlier in December, video footage that showed Harden in Las Vegas and Atlanta nightclubs without wearing a mask was making its way around the internet.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden reported to Rockets training camp on Dec. 8 and underwent COVID-19 testing "in accordance with the NBA's protocol." According to Wojnarowski, both Harden and Houston are unsure how long the star will be unavailable for.
Under NBA rules for the 2020-21 season, players found to be in violation of the league's COVID-19 protocols "may be subject to a proportionate adjustment to pay for any games missed during the period that the player is in quarantine and undergoing testing due to engaging in such activities and/or conduct."
