Just over two weeks ago, word emerged that Rockets guard Sterling Brown had suffered facial lacerations after being assaulted at a club in Miami, when he had a bottle broken over his head. While initially the concern was for Brown’s health, which he is happily going to make a full recovery, it did raise some questions about whether Brown (and anyone else he had been out with that night) had been in violation of the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
On Wednesday, the league’s investigation into the night closed and we learned that they did indeed view the night out as a violation, but would only be fining Brown’s teammate, Kevin Porter Jr., for being out at the club. Porter Jr. got hit with a $50,000 fine, while Brown will not as it seems the league deemed it too much to add a fine to injuries he sustained.
No fine is forthcoming for Houston’s Sterling Brown, @NYTSports has learned, after Brown sustained severe injuries on that unauthorized night out.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 28, 2021
It’s a bit odd that Porter Jr. would be the only one fined given both were out, but it seems the league and Rockets are ready to move on from the matter. Brown has still not played since the incident, as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury, and Porter Jr. was out for a week after the incident as he had to sit for 7 days and clear health and safety protocols with negative tests after the night out.
