Dallas Mavericks center/power forward Kristaps Porzingis has been fined $50,000 for violating the rule prohibiting players from going into bars, clubs, lounges or similar establishments, the league office announced Tuesday.
Porzingis violated the rule when he attended a club on Sunday but will not miss any games due to the infraction, according to the league’s statement.
Sources told ESPN that Porzingis, who has been fully vaccinated, briefly visited a Los Angeles strip club.
“In consultation with medical experts, and based on all facts and circumstances, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine is necessary,” the NBA’s statement read, in part.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was found to be in breach of the NBA’s health and safety protocols last week but was not fined or suspended for attending a promotional event for a tequila brand he backs.
“While we understand the inclination to compare [Porzingis’] incident to protocol violations by other players, including LeBron James, those facts are very different,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Tuesday. “LeBron briefly attended an outdoor event related to an individual commercial activity where everyone was either required to be vaccinated or return a negative Covid test. The league reviews each potential protocol violation on a case-by-case basis, and determines quarantines and imposes discipline based on the individual facts and circumstances of each matter.”