The Boston Celtics have looked unstoppable after a poor start to the season, as the team has been on fire since January, climbing as high as the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. They have played suffocating defense while being powered by an incredible Jayson Tatum on offense. The only thing that looks like it might stop the Celtics from a deep playoff run is drama off the court.
The Celtics recently refused to disclose whether their team is fully vaccinated or not ahead of the playoffs. This is something of a concern for teams in the Eastern Conference as Canada hasn’t lifted its vaccine mandate yet. So for any team potentially facing the Raptors in the playoffs, any unvaccinated players will not be allowed to participate.
Brad Stevens, now the president of basketball operations for the Celtics, addressed the situation, doubling down on the fact that the Celtics would not disclose their vaccination status (via 985TheSportsHub).
“I know what you’re getting at, obviously, with this,” Stevens said. “As an organization we’ve said from day one, we’re not going to comment on our team vaccination status or individual vaccination status, and as you said, the rules have kind of fluctuated as the year’s gone on. And, so, I feel like our job is to make sure that we continue to educate and make sure to keep everybody abreast of those changes, and the NBA has done a great job of that, all across the league.
“Anyways, I know that’s not, probably, the exact answer you’re looking for, but that’s where we stand and that’s all I really have to say about it.”
As the world is starting to move past the various problems Covid-19 has caused, players and organizations need to ensure that their season isn’t hampered by the lingering effects of the pandemic. This is unlikely to be too much of an issue for the Celtics going forward but it does beg the question of what exactly they have to not disclose to everyone.
