- LA Clippers guard Lou Williams left the NBA's Disney bubble for a funeral and was seen at a strip club on Friday.
- Williams reportedly went to the club Magic City in Atlanta, Georgia, for dinner, and did not stay long.
- Williams is now reportedly being investigated by the NBA about his other activities to help determine how long his quarantine might last upon returning to the bubble.
- The incident raises questions about the league's quarantine protocols for certain activities when players leave the campus.
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LA Clippers guard Lou Williams is under scrutiny for appearing to visit a strip club in Atlanta after an excused leave from the NBA's "bubble" in Disney World.
Williams left the bubble to attend the funeral of a loved one. However, on Friday, rapper Jack Harlow posted a photo of himself and Williams in an Instagram story with the caption, "A location U would never guess." It has since been reported that the photo was taken at the Atlanta, Georgia strip club Magic City.
In the picture, Williams is seen holding a drink and wearing one of the protective masks the NBA gave to players upon entering the bubble.
Harlow deleted the picture shortly after posting and said it was an old photo that he posted because he missed Williams.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Bobby Marks, Williams is being questioned by the NBA about his activities while outside of the Disney campus.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick, Williams and Harlow visited the strip club after attending the funeral. According to The Athletic, Williams was there to eat and didn't stay long. Williams has said in past interviews that Magic City is his favorite restaurant.
Williams tweeted on Saturday that he was not partying.
—Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 24, 2020
According to ESPN, Williams was tested for COVID-19 every day that he was away from the NBA's Disney campus, per the league's protocols.
Williams arrived back in Orlando on Saturday. According to the league's protocols, Williams is subject to a four-day quarantine, so long as he returns negative COVID-19 test results. However, his quarantine could last longer for varying circumstances.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers on Saturday confirmed Williams' absence, saying the Clippers were not happy to see the photos of Williams at the strip club.
"I can't share much with his journey. I wasn't on that journey with him," Rivers said before the Clippers' scrimmage Saturday. "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."
Williams' actions have raised further questions about how the NBA will handle players who leave the campus and the sanctity of the bubble. As reporters for The Athletic wrote: "What are the medical implications of an NBA player having dinner at one of the nation's most famous strip clubs during a pandemic?"
So far, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets, and Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Montrezl Harrell of the Clippers have left the bubble for personal reasons. All are expected to return.
Richaun Holmes of the Sacramento Kings mistakenly left the NBA campus to retrieve delivery food and was subjected to a 10-day quarantine.
The NBA must figure out if its protocols accurately assess the risk for leaving the campus for an extended period of time, and if a trip to a strip club demands a longer quarantine.
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