Houston Rockets star James Harden is reportedly being investigated by his team and the NBA over a video purportedly showing him partying at a strip club in a potential breach of the league’s Covid-19 protocols.
Footage circulating on social media reportedly shows the 31-year-old – who is at the center of speculation over whether he will remain with the Rockets – partying maskless at a Houston strip club this week.
According to ESPN, the NBA and the Rockets are trying to verify whether the footage is recent, and what that would mean for Harden’s participation in the Rockets’ season opener on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Under the NBA’s Covid protocols, players are banned from going to bars and clubs or participating in social gatherings of more than 15 people.
Harden requested to be traded by the Rockets ahead of the season, with fans now ripping into the star over his behavior and suggesting that ‘the Beard’ was deliberately attempting to diminish his value and force a move.
Other fans said it was a distinctly bad look that Harden was flaunting his cash at a strip club in the middle of a pandemic.
However, Harden himself later took to Instagram to deny the location in question was a strip club, instead insisting he had gone "to show some love to my homegirl at her event because she is becoming a boss."
Harden reportedly already had coronavirus during the summer, although anyone who has recovered is still required to follow the league’s safety protocols fully.
The eight-time NBA All-Star and 2018 MVP joined the Rockets in 2012 from the Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming one of the best-known and most popular faces in the sport.