Report: LeBron James won’t be suspended for breaking NBA health and safety protocols

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James broke the NBA’s health and safety protocols earlier this week but won’t face a suspension.

A day before the Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, James attended a promotional event for a tequila brand he has ties with.

The event took place outdoors in a brief photo shoot, and among the notable attendees were actor Michael B. Jordan and recording artist Drake, both of who were also in attendance in Wednesday’s game.

Prior to the start of the event, any invitee needed to provide proof of vaccination against the coronavirus or a negative test result in order to attend.

Since James attended the event, the league said he had violated the protocols compared to other instances around the league. Anyone who breaks the protocols are subject to warnings, fines or suspensions, and continuous violations could result in harsher discipline.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, James won’t be suspended.

As stated, the event didn’t pose a significant threat of possibly spreading the virus, which is why James won’t be suspended for future games.

That’s important to note given the Lakers are facing the Phoenix Suns in round one of the NBA playoffs, with game one slated for Sunday. Los Angeles needs James to be available to have the best chance at winning the series, even though they are the seventh seed.

James also gave an update on his ankle ahead of the contest, which is another factor to monitor when tipoff begins Sunday.