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Days before the start of the 2021-2022 NBA preseason, ESPN has reported that 95% of the league's players are vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a 5% uptick from the percentage of players vaccinated against the virus prior to the start of training camp.
An increase in the number of vaccinated players comes shortly after the NBA announced that unvaccinated players would not be paid if they miss games for COVID-19 related reasons.
"Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses," NBA Executive Vice President of Communications Mike Bass said on Wednesday.
Thus far, New York and San Francisco are the only cities to require players to receive a vaccine before practicing or participating in games. As a result, Brooklyn Nets Point Guard Kyrie Irving and Golden State Warriors Forward Andrew Wiggins are running the risk of missing half of the season because they have reportedly refused to receive the vaccine. Other players like Jonathan Issac of the Orlando Magic, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets have also spoken openly about not receiving the vaccine.
"I'm not ashamed to say that I'm uncomfortable with taking the vaccine at this time. I think that we're all different. We all come from different places, we've all had different experiences, and hold dear to different beliefs," Issac said on Thursday, according to WTVR in Richmond.
"What it is that you do with your body when it comes to putting medicine in there should be your choice, free of the ridicule and the opinion of others."
Adding on, fellow vaccinated NBA players like Draymond Green have attempted to support players who choose not to receive the vaccine.
"It's not my place or my business on whether he gets vaccinated or not — it's your own personal choice at the end of the day what you do with your body. It's not my place to tell him what he should or shouldn't do with his. Because he's not going to come tell me what I should do with my body," Green said when asked about his unvaccinated teammate Andrew Wiggins, according to Yahoo! Sports.
As it stands now, NBA staffers, coaches, etc. are required to be vaccinated against the virus, but players are not. Throughout the offseason, several NBA staffers have expressed their concerns regarding the vocal minority of unvaccinated NBA players.
"For me, it's a problem because my parents are very sick, and I'm in close contact with these guys and I would hate to bring this home and my parents pass away from it," one vaccinated strength and conditioning coach told ESPN.
"They need to hold the players to the same standards they hold us. This is a disease that doesn't differentiate between a player and a staff member."
The NBPA has stated repeatedly that it will not agree to a league wide vaccine mandate. Instead, unvaccinated players will be required to abide by many of the same protocols that were put in place last season.
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