Sunday 26 July 2020 16:34, UK
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams has been ordered to quarantine for 10 days after visiting a club during an excused absence away from the NBA bubble.
Williams will miss at least two of the Clippers' seeding games, including their July 30 opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. It is possible he could miss more than two since his likely release will be August 4, the day of the Clippers' third seeding game.
The issue was not that Williams left the bubble - for which he had been given permission to attend a funeral - but that he also went to a club on that trip to Atlanta, and photographs of that visit - with him wearing a type of mask that the NBA distributed inside the bubble at Walt Disney World - appeared on social media.
That prompted an investigation by NBA security, and ultimately the 10-day ruling. Williams visited a club that he has often described as being his favourite restaurant, and the establishment even has chicken wings that are named for him on the menu.
But by being in a group of people and potentially exposing himself to coronavirus, the NBA decided that a longer quarantine was required to ensure the safety of those in the bubble.
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans got only a four-day quarantine after leaving the bubble earlier this month for a family matter. Williamson received the shorter quarantine because he was tested daily during his absence and continually was negative, plus he satisfied other NBA requirements.
Williams was seen in an Instagram picture on Thursday night at Magic City gentleman's club in Atlanta, posted by rapper Jack Harlow.
Despite Harlow later deleting it and claiming the picture was old, NBA security quizzed Williams about his activities and he did admit going to the club.
However, Williams maintained that no entertainers were present and that he went there for dinner after attending the viewing for the father of a close friend.
On Friday, Williams tweeted about the situation, saying "Ask any of my team-mates what's my favourite restaurant in Atlanta is. Ain't nobody partying. Chill out lol. #Maskon #inandout."
Regardless, Clippers coach Doc Rivers was less than thrilled to be asked about the 33-year-old Williams, who is back in Orlando.
"I can't share much with his journey. I wasn't on that journey with him," Rivers said.
"But he's back here, I can tell you that much. You know, obviously those [pictures] got out, and that's something that we obviously didn't enjoy seeing or like."
The Clippers were not practising on Sunday and are not expected to comment on the NBA's ruling before Monday. They had 10 players available for their scrimmage game against the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. With Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley also having left the bubble for personal reasons and now, with Williams gone for an extended absence, they will be short-handed for the foreseeable future as well.
