Vaccine mandates won’t score with the NBA
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Now that we know the COVID-19 vaccines aren’t a slam dunk against infection and spread of coronavirus, the National Basketball Association is maintaining its stance on vaccine mandates for players, coaches and other league employees for the upcoming season.
“While the NBA still strongly suggests that all players, coaches and staff members receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the league will not introduce a vaccine mandate for next season,” according to Yahoo! Sports. Unvaccinated players may be subject to periodic testing “pending discussions with the National Basketball Players Association.”
The announcement is in line with the NBA’s health and safety policies from last season, when vaccine requirements were left up to local cities and states.
Players did not have to get the vaccine, but they did have to follow local guidelines, and unvaccinated players were subject to more stringent testing and restrictions, according to the news report. Most players chose to get vaccinated, with the league boasting a 95% vaccination rate last season. Yet, dozens of players tested positive for COVID-19.
