Underage Thunder Player, James Harden

[mmonroe]

Shoot me if this has been posted.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A manager at a Bricktown bar was cited early Sunday on a complaint of allowing a person under 21 in a club after police found an underage Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player inside.

A person flagged down officers about 12:05 a.m. and said Thunder reserve guard James Harden, 20, was inside Rok Bar, 119 E California Ave., according to an Oklahoma City police report released today.

Officers found Harden inside the club and asked him for his identification, and he said it was in his vehicle, according to the report. He provided them with his date of birth.

Officers issued the misdemeanor citation to Nathanial Z. Nold, 30, the report states. Harden was not arrested or cited, records show.


Read more from this Tulsa World article at Tulsa World: Oklahoma City bar manager cited for allowing underage Thunder player inside

[MikeOKC]

So, a guy can earn over $4,000,000.00 per year and not be able to have a beer or even be inside the Rok Club. Odd. Strange laws, indeed. The same should be said, by the way, per our soldiers.

[betts]

Agreed. The drinking age should be 18. We treat them like adults if they commit a crime at 18, we treat them like adults if they have an illness, they're allowed to die for our country. I think its foolishness to have the drinking age 21. I have 4 kids, and I've seen no evidence that raising the drinking age to 21 deters teenage drinking. They just do it in cars instead of in bars.

[gmwise]

Wow so far agreement...
I'm spooked..lol

[Laramie]

There is aways a snitch watching just waiting on a chance to pounce on an opportunity and they sit back and watch. Funny thing about most snitches, they never snitch on themselves!

Oklahoma and the Federal Government have some strange liquor laws:

In Oklahoma:

Can't buy 6.0 beer in a store and if it is sold in a Liquor Store it (6.0 beer) can't be refrigerated!

Why? If it is cold you will be tempted to drink it. A person who has a drinking problem is going to drink the liquor or beer regardless of whether it is cold or hot.

All states:

You've got to be 21 or older to enter a club or liquor establishment; yet, we can draft you at 18 and certify you as an adult at almost any age depending on the circumstances.

Clubs in Oklahoma put everyone out on the streets at 2:00am. when most states allow the bars, taverns and clubs to stay open form closing til 4-5- 6:00 a.m., and serve juices, sodas and non-alcoholic beverages to help sober most of their patrons up and they are not all put out on the streets at the same time.

When will we wake up and quit playing M O T H E R - H E N !

[mmonroe]

Ok.. so the drinking age gets lowered to 18... why not lower it to 16, 18 is close enough to 16, hell, we let them drive at 16, why not drink. Why not be an adult when you're 16. Most kids at that age are already doing adult things, I know I was.

[RedDirt717]

The 21 drinking age thing is pretty archaic.

I can see there being 21 and older "night clubs" based on what a target clientele might want, but it's ridiculous that they can recruit an 18 year old to the military, hand him a gun, expect him to fly 8,000 miles across the world and possibly die, but they'll write him up a ticket or send him to jail and shut down a business if that same person buys a coors light on a Saturday night.

[Laramie]

mmonroe: I did adult things at six and twelve; however, doing adult things doesn't make you an adult.

Quit drafting kids at 18 if they aren't old enough to drink! They can drink on a military base at 18 with a military ID--so what's the difference if they can fight for their country at that age--why not let them drink?

[MikeOKC]

Here's an interesting chart showing the Minimum Age Drinking Laws Around The World. Probably 80% are age 18 (or younger!).

[RedDirt717]

Here's an interesting chart showing the Minimum Age Drinking Laws Around The World. Probably 80% are age 18 (or younger!).

lol

In Denmark you can buy it at 16, but not drink it until you're 18.

Odd.

[CaptDave]

lol

In Denmark you can buy it at 16, but not drink it until you're 18.

Odd.

It's to keep their drunk parents from driving to the store to buy more!!

[MikeOKC]

Actually, if you read the description of the categories, the Purchase Age: Off Premise, means they can purchase and drink elsewhere (at home, home parties, etc.) just not in bars and other on-premise locations.

[bluedogok]

Quit drafting kids at 18 if they aren't old enough to drink! They can drink on a military base at 18 with a military ID--so what's the difference if they can fight for their country at that age--why not let them drink?

Most bases have changed this policy per a DoD directive recently. Not all have complied as of yet last I heard.

[MadMonk]

The issue of legality aside, what a crappy thing for someone to do, meaning the person who reported it.

[Jethrol]

The issue of legality aside, what a crappy thing for someone to do, meaning the person who reported it.

Exactly what I was thinking....what a douchebag that person is!!

[circled9]

I agree that the problem is with the snitch. Probably a Dallas Mavericks fan. All of the drinking law arguments i have heard or made since i was a teenager in los angeles. Speaking of L.A., hope the incident doesnt cause Hardin or Westbrook to want to go back when their contracts are up. Come to think of it, maybe it was a Lakers fan who was the snitch.

[jc_4]

Yeah this is totally bogus! I want to know who was the snitch. These guys are helping OKC really get on the map and he is one year away from 21 come on now. I know when I moved back here I was 18 and you can't do much except go to "get shot" clubs but when you turn 21 okc is a whole new thing its a lot better. I'm just sayin he could buy that club in cash that night. I'd let him slide. I will bowel movement on the snitches car if I ever find them! P.S. Go usaf!

[earlywinegareth]

Doesn't every club check IDs at the door? Can't someone give this local hero a fake ID - lol?

[OkieHornet]

it may not be right, but the fact remains a law was broken and the right course of action was taken. i am curious to know if there's anything that could've been done to Harden? a ticket for him because he was underage in a club? or would it have to have him drinking in order for a ticket to be issued?

[kevinpate]

Doesn't every club check IDs at the door? Can't someone give this local hero a fake ID - lol?

Either they don't do accurate checks, or a passable ID was shown at the door and the patron was sharp enough to not display it again when the id check was made.

The patron was not cited. The manager who should have known the patron was underage was cited. Had the patron been goofy enough to produce an invalid ID, or perhaps had he not been who he is, the patron might have also been cited.

Then again, perhaps he was only observed drinking plain water.
I dunno and the article is not real in depth.

While still a minor I was asked to leave a place once (or thrice) when I was somewhere I ought not to have been. No drama, just told it was time for me to be somewhere else, past time actually, and I departed without incident. Of course, I wasn't famous and no one really cared, including me, what gave me away. I was just happy there was no drama involved.

[old okie]

The 21 drinking age thing is pretty archaic.

I can see there being 21 and older "night clubs" based on what a target clientele might want, but it's ridiculous that they can recruit an 18 year old to the military, hand him a gun, expect him to fly 8,000 miles across the world and possibly die, but they'll write him up a ticket or send him to jail and shut down a business if that same person buys a coors light on a Saturday night.

Ditto to all you say...........AND remember that the VOTING age is now 18! A person can join the military, make a contract, get married, buy tobacco products, and/or vote at age 18, but can't buy or drink alcohol in a public! Beyond ridiculous!

[metro]

I agree that the problem is with the snitch. Probably a Dallas Mavericks fan. All of the drinking law arguments i have heard or made since i was a teenager in los angeles. Speaking of L.A., hope the incident doesnt cause Hardin or Westbrook to want to go back when their contracts are up. Come to think of it, maybe it was a Lakers fan who was the snitch.

I understand you all agree in principle, but regardless a law was broken, not by the snitch.

Doesn't every club check IDs at the door? Can't someone give this local hero a fake ID - lol?

Probably could, but he's such a public figure that people know his age and it wouldn't matter.

it may not be right, but the fact remains a law was broken and the right course of action was taken. i am curious to know if there's anything that could've been done to Harden? a ticket for him because he was underage in a club? or would it have to have him drinking in order for a ticket to be issued?

Agreed. Not saying I'm defending the "snitch", who technically did nothing illegal. What does that say of Harden who knew he was underage? Two wrongs don't make a right; ie just because all the cool kids are doing it... I don't remember hearing of CP3 hitting the clubs, but I do remember him hitting up the bowling alley regularly. Sad when our society defends what is illegal over someone who did nothing illegal, as archaic as the laws might be. Personally, I've seen and heard far too many stories of 18 year olds doing stupid things, although that could be said of any age, but on average an 18 year old just doesn't have the life experience/maturity level. I'd rather see them raise the legal age to 21 for all the things mentioned. Let the flames begin.

[MikeOKC]

Earth to Metro. While I agree with you in many ways, I am also a realist. A 20 year-old in a bar is very common. One of the wealthiest men in Oklahoma City at $4,000,000.00 a year (yes, four million) not being allowed in a bar is ridiculous. He's an adult in every other way. He can be a huge draw in his employment, pay ridiculous amounts in taxes, he can vote, own a home, he's an adult if a crime is committed, he can fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. But you want to say he can't walk in a club and have a drink? Again, Earth to Metro.

One thing it does remind us about the Thunder, a lot of these guys are just barely out of high school and college. They're young, and with that kind of money, they are vulnerable to many things. The least of which is doing what zillions of other 20 year-old guys do, and sneak in a bar.

Really, this is not even worthy of conversation and discussion. It's just because of who he is that we're batting this back and forth. Some things, Metro, just will be. Fake ID's and sliding into a bar before 21 is a lot like not wearing a seatbelt...yeah, it's the law, but sometimes it just is and always will be.

[so1rfan]

So as long as you make $4 million a year you can do whatever you want?

The law is the law, whether you agree with it or not.

[metro]

My other question is would Joe Blow off the street be treated the same way?