Lou Williams fiasco shows double-standard against Rockets’ James Harden

How the double standard has been on display

So why isn’t Williams’ commitment to basketball being questioned? We’ve even seen Harden receive criticism for frequenting strip clubs during the offseason, so imagine if it was determined that he did such a thing while the NBA has desperately sought a method to salvage the 2019-20 season to crown a champion. We’ve also heard ad nauseam about how Harden went to the strip club after the Rockets were eliminated from the 2017 playoffs, which further displays how the national media chronicles Harden’s trips to the strip clubs.

However, Williams received a pass from the national media, as many of them defended his pit stop and gave him the benefit of the doubt, something Harden never seems to get. So why doesn’t Harden, an annual MVP candidate, receive the same?

On Sunday, the NBA reached a determination regarding Williams’ investigation, as he will be forced to a 10-day quarantine, which will cause him to miss two of the Clippers’ regular season games. But one can’t help but envision how much different the stakes would be if it were Harden.

Like Harden, Williams leads his team in assists, as he’s the primary facilitator on the Clips. Williams is also the third-leading scorer on the second-seeded Clippers, behind only Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, so his importance on the Clippers is significant.

With that being the case, it’s worth questioning why Williams isn’t receiving the same level of scrutiny from the national media as Harden would, if he were in this predicament.