Porzingis fined $50K for violating protocols with recent club visit

The NBA fined Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis $50,000 for breaking COVID-19 protocols after he recently went to a club, president of league operations Byron Spruell announced Tuesday.

The league prohibits players from going into "any bar, club, lounge, or similar establishment," regardless of their vaccination status.

Porzingis won't have to enter quarantine after the Association and medical experts found that his attendance at the club didn't further elevate the spread of COVID-19.

LeBron James also recently violated the NBA's health and safety protocols when he attended a promotional shoot for a tequila company.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass maintains that the league looks into each violation on a "case-by-case basis" and determines whether a quarantine period or fine is necessary depending on the circumstances of each situation.

"While we understand the inclination to compare this incident to protocol violations by other players, including LeBron James, those facts are very different," Bass told The Athletic's Shams Charania in a statement. "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-19 test."