The announcement comes in the wake of NBA media day, an annual tradition before NBA training camps begin when several star players indicated they were not vaccinated and expressed hesitancy to do so.
Players for the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, according to local vaccine mandates, will not be allowed to play in their home arenas if unvaccinated. Both teams are considered title contenders and have key players, Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, who have indicated that they are unvaccinated.
While few players have confirmed they are unvaccinated, responding to the question by saying it is “private” has become the unofficial “no.” There have been exceptions, Jonathan Isaac and Bradley Beal both said they were unvaccinated and questioned the need for vaccinations. Beal has since walked back on his statements.
It has been revealed that the NBA wanted a vaccine mandate, but the players association rejected the proposal. The NBA threatening the loss of wages due to missing games for not being vaccinated puts pressure on unvaccinated players to get vaccinated. Missing half of your games not only would see some players lose millions of dollars, but also puts your team at a competitive disadvantage.
Current reporting indicates that the vast majority of the league has been vaccinated, and many teams’ rosters are at 100%. Some got the vaccine as soon as they could, while others were more hesitant and only received their first dose recently. The NBA and the NBA Players’ Association are still finalizing an agreement over health and safety protocols for this season.