Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, the NBA has been doing its best to get out in front of it. When the crisis first began, they took steps to limit exposure and keep their players, staff, and fans protected.
And now, with the rollout of the vaccine, the NBA is encouraging all of their players to go ahead and get the shot.
Unfortunately, there has been resistance from some within the league, including guys like Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, who have adopted an anti-vaxx stance.
Wiggins even tried to apply for a religious exemption before getting being denied by the league.
The N.B.A. has denied the request of Andrew Wiggins, a Golden State Warriors player, for a religious exemption from the coronavirus vaccine, which is required in San Francisco to attend large indoor events, including Warriors home games.
The league’s decision complicates matters for the team and for Mr. Wiggins, a 26-year-old forward who was the No. 1 draft pick in 2014. He said in March that he did not plan to get the vaccine unless he was forced to.
Many have spoken up against the anti-vaxx stance, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Enes Kanter also had something to say on the issue:
“If a guy’s not getting vaccinated because of his religion, I feel like we are in a time where the religion and science has to go together. I’ve talked to a lot of religious guys – I’m like: ‘It saves people’s lives, so what is more important than that?”
As the new season approaches, the vaccination controversy will only continue to increase in intensity.
As for what we can expect the NBA to do, that much remains to be seen. We may see some serious debate from parties within the association on how to handle it.
Nevertheless, things will certainly get interesting over these next few weeks.
