NBA: James Harden fined $50,000 by NBA for violating league's health and safety protocols

The league announced on Wednesday night that Houston Rockets star James Harden has been fined $50,000 for violating the NBA‘s health and safety protocols after videos showing Harden at a party without a mask began circulating on social media on Wednesday morning, leading to a league investigation.

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Harden was made unavailable for the Rockets’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night despite testing negative for the coronavirus on Monday, Tuesday, and again on Wednesday due to violating the league’s protocols.

That game was eventually postponed because the Rockets did not have enough eligible players to compete and it’s still unclear when Harden will be cleared to play.

The Rockets are waiting on word from the league on how long Harden will have to quarantine and according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Harden will lose forfeit $573,000 per game for any contests he ends up missing.

The last couple of months has also seen Harden make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

During the ongoing pandemic, He was seen attending parties in Atlanta and Vegas while the Rockets were beginning training camp in Houston.

The one-time MVP made waves when it was reported that he would like to be traded to a contending team, with the 76ers, Nets, Heat, and Bucks all on his list.

Also, the relationship between Harden and the Rockets franchise has been on thin ice the last few months as the team has been going through changes both in the front office and on the court.