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“LeBron James is receiving preferential treatment”: NBA executive claims league is being partial towards Lakers’ MVP regarding his COVID-19 protocol violations

Samir Mehdi
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“LeBron James is receiving preferential treatment”: NBA executive claims league is being partial towards Lakers' MVP regarding his COVID-19 protocol violations

An anonymous NBA executive believes the league is giving LeBron James preferential treatment for violating COVID-19 protocols. 

The violation of Health and Safety Protocols was essentially the only reason as to why stars were held from games in the first two months of the 2020-21 NBA season. Teams like the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, and many more were ravaged by these protocols as nearly every single player in their starting lineup was held from suiting up for certain games. 

The Los Angeles Lakers were not all too bothered by COVID-19 as there were only a few instances that a member of their roster was kept out of games for these protocols; most notably would be Dennis Schroder in the latter half of the season. This is surprising as Los Angeles was most definitely a hotspot for COVID cases while cases were still surging.

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One player who was not held out from games throughout the entirety of this season due to health and safety protocols was LeBron James. This has become a topic of discussion as of recent due to his very public outing with rapper Drake at a party concerning a tequila brand James has invested in, financially. 

LeBron James is receiving preferential treatment from the NBA, says an anonymous executive. 

Along with having violated the league’s COVID-19 safety protocols, LeBron James has also decided not to vaccinate himself against the coronavirus. Despite this, the league remained quiet on the matter as they did not suspend him nor did they fine him for the violations. An anonymous Eastern Conference executive was not happy upon hearing this.

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“It’s a given that LeBron, because of who he is, is going to get some things to go his way that don’t go that way for others. The thing I struggle with understanding is the whole point of having all these health protocols is to keep players safe, right? Why are there layers to this? If you spell out the rules and the players violate them, why would you risk exposing them to their teammates?” 

This though brought up by this executive has been running through everybody’s mind. Yes, LeBron James is who he is and has a massive pull on the higher ups in the NBA. However, certain things like trying to curb the spread of a pandemic should be higher on the league’s docket than trying to cater to the 4x champ. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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