Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty
NBA legendMichael Jordanexpressed his support for the NBA’s COVID-19 vaccine protocols after a number of players — most notably, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving — criticized the guidelines.
During an interview withTodayto talk about Bubba Wallace’shistoric NASCAR winearlier this month, Jordan — the former Chicago Bulls star who is now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the racing team Wallace is signed to — said he agreed with the NBA’s health and safety protocols to help slow the spread of COVID.
“I think once everybody buys in, we’re going the be fine,” he added.
There is no mandate requiring NBA players to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19. Unvaccinated players are allowed to play in the upcoming season, however, the NBA states that the athletes will have to be tested daily on practice and travel days and at least once on game day along with mandatory mask-wearing. Fully vaccinated players will not be subject to daily testing.
Local health regulations in specific locations, notably New York and San Francisco areas, require athletes to be vaccinated to play in home games.
There have been a few notable players who have expressed their skepticism around the COVID vaccine ahead of the start of the new NBA season.
Andrew Wigginsof the Golden State Warriors recently received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after holding out until the start of the NBA’s preseason this month.
“The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA,” Wiggins said during apress conferenceafter the Warriors took on the Portland Trail Blazers. “It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I’m still healthy.”
“It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that’s going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time,” Wiggins added. “It’s not something I wanted to do, but I was kind of forced to.”
Kyrie Irving, the point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, continues to be unvaccinated against COVID.
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Mike Bass, the NBA’s executive vice president of communications, said in September that players without the COVID-19 vaccinewill not be paid for the gamesthey are forced to miss due to their vaccination status.
Breakthrough cases— COVID-19 infections that occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus — are unlikely, but possible and expected, as the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infections. Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. The majority of deaths from COVID-19 — around 98 to 99% —are in unvaccinated people.
source: people.com
