Andrew Wiggins vaccine status isn’t the only one of concern to an NBA franchise. Kyrie Irving is also believed to be unvaccinated and it could cause him to miss games in the forthcoming season.
Irving’s aunt, Tyki, spoke with Rolling Stone and revealed that Kyrie has refused to receive the vaccine. The NBA would allow for certain players to be exempt from the rule if it was for religious reasons. Irving isn’t citing religion, instead, “moral-based” reasons.
“He is going to try to figure that out as it comes, because it’s not religious-based, it’s moral-based,” Tyki said. “You may have to sit on the sideline, you might not have to be in the arena during this. If it’s that freaking important to get a vaccine that, hell, it’s still not preventing the Covid then I’d rather them working it out that way than to say, ‘Hey, if you don’t get the vaccine, then you can’t be a part of the franchise that you f*ckin’ helped build.’”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the aforementioned Wiggins is unvaccinated, and he plans to remain so unless forced. With that decision, Wiggins would miss home games for the season. The Chronicle details the Warriors brass’s attempts to have Wiggins speak with a doctor, but he refuses.
A memo from the NBA revealed laws in New York City and San Francisco about the league’s vaccine requirements on the teams. The ruling impacts the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Golden State Warriors. ESPN notes the only exemption is medical or religious reasons, and it is currently unclear if Wiggins would qualify for the exemption.
The league requires all personnel working with 15 feet of players or referees to be fully vaccinated in the forthcoming season. NBA training camps open on Sept. 28, and the regular season begins on Oct. 19.
