By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticized the players who refuse to take the coronavirus vaccine ahead of the new season that begins in less than a month (19/10).
Abdul-Jabbar commented that those who don’t want to get vaccinated are putting others in danger and that their clubs shouldn’t accommodate them if they persist.
Here’s what Abdul-Jabbar said to the Rolling Stone on the subject:
“The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team. There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, the staff and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research. What I find especially disingenuous about the vaccine deniers is their arrogance at disbelieving immunology and other medical experts. Yet, if their child was sick or they themselves needed emergency medical treatment, how quickly would they do exactly what those same experts told them to do?”
According to Rolling Stone’s feature, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has been one of the players who have been hesitant to take the vaccine. Irving is reported to be closely following and liking anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists on Instagram. Irving is the executive vice president of the NBPA and is reported to be the leader among players who are against the vaccine.
NBA players won’t be required to get vaccinated with the exception of those who play for clubs that are based in New York and San Francisco due to the local safety laws and regulations on the coronavirus. These teams include the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors. There’s a possibility that a player won’t have to take the vaccine only if he receives an “approved medical or religious exemption,” per ESPN.
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins made a request for an exemption due to religious reasons but it was denied by the NBA.