Danuel House Jr. Let Female COVID Testing Official Into His Room?
Danuel House Jr. reportedly let a female COVID-19 testing official into his hotel room. That has prompted an investigation by the league into whether he violated NBA bubble protocol with his actions.
House was a last-minute scratch from the Houston Rockets’ Game 3 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time, the only reason for his absence offered was that it was “personal” in nature.
Houston later announced that he would be sitting out Game 4 as well.
On Thursday morning, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports revealed what precisely was at the root of House’s mysterious sudden disappearance.
“Houston Rockets reserve Danuel House Jr. is under investigation by the league for allegedly allowing a female COVID-19 testing official into his hotel room, and his status for the remainder of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers is in question,” he reported.
Celtics fans are pissed. https://t.co/cEEmwkAO8h
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 10, 2020
According to Shams Charania, the female in question went into the Rockets team hotel on Monday night and left the early Tuesday morning.
According to @ShamsCharania, a female entered the Rockets team hotel on Monday night, exiting the hotel early Tuesday morning, and the league cited “early data points that implicated” Danuel House and Tyson Chandler. 👀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 10, 2020
“When the woman was questioned by NBA security, she did not implicate House’s name and it is uncertain whether she remains on campus,” Charania added. “She claimed to have contact with Chandler and another player, not named House.”
House currently denies any wrongdoing.
“There appears to be no video connecting House and the woman,” Charania noted. “Only the flagging of her entering and leaving the hotel, and the possibility of a door opening and closing to match those timelines.”
The NBA Players’ Association is reportedly working on House’s behalf to get him reinstated. There is now some question regarding whether, if reinstated, he would be subjected to a 10-day quarantine.
So far this year House has averaged nearly 11 points per outing on 36 percent shooting from behind the arc.
The Rockets are currently down 2-1 to the Lakers in their best-of-seven series and could use all the help they can get.
A final decision on House’s ongoing status is expected at some point on Thursday.
Related: Craig Sager Political Leanings Exposed As His Kids Fight On Twitter
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
