NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday said a $50,000 fine was sufficient discipline for James Harden after the Houston Rockets guard broke the league’s COVID-19 protocols by attending a recent party, adding a suspension would have been too harsh.
The Rockets’ season opener at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed on Wednesday after three of Houston’s players returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive for COVID-19. Harden was unavailable as he isolated after attending the social event, which was caught on video.
“The precedent is that discipline gets ratcheted up,” Silver said in an interview broadcast on ESPN.
“It’s Christmas. It was a first o…
Keep on reading: NBA-Silver defends Harden punishment: “It’s Christmas”