https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/11/rockets-lakers-danuel-house/ The Rockets were informed Tuesday — the day of their Game 3 loss to the Lakers — that Chandler and House were under investigation after the NBA discovered that a female subcontractor who worked in the bubble had passed security checkpoints and gained access to the Grand Floridian hotel on Monday night. Chandler was subsequently cleared to rejoin the team for Game 4; House was not, and he has remained confined to his hotel room this week as he awaits word from the league on his status. There had been no indication as of Thursday night that House will be cleared before Saturday’s Game 5, in which Houston faces elimination. Previous violators of the NBA’s quarantine protocol, including Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes and Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams, have been required to remain quarantined for up to 10 days, which would sideline House for the duration of the series even if it went seven games. People with knowledge of the situation, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the ongoing investigation, said that the Rockets were “blindsided” by the NBA’s decision and that there had been little direct communication between the league office and team officials and Houston had received no formal presentation of evidence. Instead, communication continues between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. “The NBA is treating [House] as guilty until proven innocent for safety reasons,” said one person with knowledge of the situation. “They're prioritizing their perception of safety over everything else. The NBPA feels its hands are tied. Any time [the union] talks about due process or presumption of guilt, [the NBA] immediately says, ‘Safety, safety, safety.’ There has to be some limit or balance.” Per the NBA’s health and safety protocols, which were designed to limit the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus on the Disney World campus, players are prohibited from hosting guests in their hotel rooms, and their contact with anyone who hasn’t cleared the NBA’s quarantine process, like housekeepers, is strictly regulated. Some contractors working in the bubble undergo regular coronavirus testing but may live off-campus, thereby presenting a greater risk to players, who have been sequestered from the outside world since early July. Through Thursday, no player has tested positive for the coronavirus since entering the NBA bubble. ESPN.com first reported that the NBA had opened an investigation of House, with Yahoo Sports reporting that he had impermissible contact with an employee of the company handling coronavirus tests on campus. Access to the players’ hotel is strictly limited to outsiders, including media members, and closely monitored by multiple layers of security, including Disney security, local police and other law enforcement agencies. The perimeter of the campus is monitored by video surveillance, and there are cameras located inside the hotel lobby. The league even set up a tip hotline for on-campus residents to report rule violations. At present, the Rockets are the only team in the Grand Floridian hotel. The other seven teams that were housed there at the start of bubble play in July have been eliminated. The NBA did not force the Rockets to move to the Gran Destino Tower, which is home to the Lakers and five other teams remaining in the playoffs, giving them free rein over the sprawling property. “I like it,” Westbrook said after closing out the Thunder. “We get to go back to a campus where it’s just us. No other teams. Just us at the Grand Floridian.” House, who averaged a career-high 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds this season, is an important and underrated piece for the Rockets. A capable shooter with good size, he stepped in as a starter when an injured Westbrook missed time earlier in the playoffs. Last week, House told reporters that he felt he was “slept on heavily with a pillow and a blanket,” and these playoffs had offered him the chance to have a coming-out party. Unfortunately, House has now made headlines for all the wrong reasons and Houston’s season could end Saturday. “If it was a star player, there’s no way [the NBA] would handle it this way,” said a person close to House with direct knowledge of the investigation. “They want to make an example out of somebody.”
So why are we being silent on the matter? Speak the **** up Tilman, **** the fines, time to publicly demand justice and the investigation to be sped up. Hate how Rockets are just accepting this.
Pretty standard for Houston teams and their owners. They should be raising hell right now, same as the Astros should have gone public with all the other teams as well.
When the judge of character is the NBA and Silver, what can you do? Put a gun to his head? I am thinking the Rockets will investigate it themselves after the series or after the Playoffs. They probably have more to mull over than this 1 series. There is no future. Regroup or rebuild?
Obviously, not strict enough that someone that shouldn't have been allowed to get through THREE checkpoints was able to do so.
NBA is mad AF about games not being televised openly in China. Wanted badly for the Thunder to win, and now they are pulling out the heavy guns. Im surprised we havent heard Morey more up in arms about this.
Morey also wants a job next year... he may get blacklisted... A while back in a Stan Van Gundy interview on how the league can exercise some power... https://sports.yahoo.com/stan-van-gundy-says-no-comments-ve-made-193225246--nba.html?y20=1 Q: Do you believe you were submarined out of that job? A: I'm pretty sure I was by David [Stern]. It's funny. People say it all the time that when an opportunity closes, you end up in a better place. It happened to me in Wisconsin. I lasted one season and got fired. I was 36 and absolutely depressed — like I just blew the best opportunity I ever will have in my life. A few months later, I'm in the NBA. (The ESPN job) would have been more money but I would have been basically flying to LA all the time. Now I work Wednesdays, a little on Fridays and do a college game on a Saturday every couple of weeks. I stay in touch with the game and I'm having fun with it. Q: Why do you see Stern's footprints? A: (ESPN) contacted me – they drove the whole thing. All of a sudden, it came to a stop. Whether it was Stern directly, the league office making a call or someone at the top at ESPN . . . There's no question the comments I've made about David Stern kept them from hiring me. I said things that pissed him off. Q: What do you believe upset him the most? A: There was the time that the Arab Spring was in full bloom. I compared him to other world leaders in that he didn't tolerate dissenting opinions very well.
NBA, we are still waiting on any possible evidence to be provided. The fckery is quite high right now How are they barely in communication with the Rockets? What is going on? every time the Rockets try to make a big deal out of something, they get ridiculed and dismissed...I wouldn’t keep quiet about this tho maybe the Rockets don’t want to come out vehemently until they have all the facts...they would look stupid if House is indeed guilty, although we are still waiting for any evidence...sorry, but an open door and possible circumstantial evidence doesn’t cut it...we need something concrete
If he did violate the rules, shame on him, but if he didn't, shame on the NBA. Either way, this should have been transparent. It's not that hard, you interview House, and you interview the female visitor and you let the Rockets know.
If the girl really went to his room or if there’s legit reason to believe she did I can’t fault the nba. Last thing they want is for house to be infected and then start spreading that to other players. That would be a disaster for them. But if they don’t have any legit reasoning, no evidence....just a tip or just a hunch...then the Rockets should take them to task. But my guess is that there’s legit concerns since Chandler was cleared.
Not surprising. Just listening to him do the games he would side with the refs even if the replay showed it was wrong against the Rockets. It’s like he scared to lose his job again.
Just.... put him out there. Play him. Start him. Force the officials to call security on us on national TV.
NBPA's President is Chris Paul and VP is Andre Iguodala. I'm sure they really have great interest in seeing the Rockets treated fairly.
