18-year NBA veteran Ray Allen has never been afraid to share his thoughts and views on all matters of life. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mr. Allen did not hold back, taking to Instagram to speak directly to the anti-vaxxers and deniers.
Denying the truth doesn’t change the facts! For the record, no one is telling you to get the vaccine! You all can argue and fight about statistics all you want, the whole point of the post is to inform you that the majority of people that are working in government, hospitals and creating policy around COVID are vaccinated! But hey, you do you! #nowyouknow
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTLW605sHer
Obviously, the COVID-19 vaccine is a very sensitive subject right now. As the world continues to battle the virus, more and more people are speaking out, encouraging others to get vaccinated and do their part to slow the spread of the pandemic.
Of course, Ray Allen isn’t the only one in the NBA community to speak up. Bill Russell, for example, started his own campaign way back in February.
“I just arrived to get my COVID shot, and this is one shot I won’t block,” said Russell, wearing a Celtics facemask and a Lakers hat with Kobe Bryant’s initials. “No Celtics were harmed during my shot. Let’s do this together.”
The NBA has been active in amplifying the message of taking the vaccine, with trusted figures taking the shot publicly in the effort to garner public trust. No active player has taken the vaccine yet, but several players are expected to participate with local governments in messages that could debut in time.”
The NBA itself has taken a pretty solid stance on the issue, which is unsurprising given how COVID has impacted the league and many of its players.
Going forward, we can probably expect many others to make their own statements online, especially as the season draws closer.
Not everyone may be as bold as Ray Allen, though.
