The COVID-19 vaccine has been a heavy topic of discussion in the NBA. Andrew Wiggins and Kyrie Irving are opting out of the vaccine, which will opt them out over half of their team’s games. During Los Angeles Lakers’ media day, LeBron James revealed he was skeptical at first about the vaccine but did it for the well-being of everyone around him.
“You’re always trying to figure out ways that you can just be available and protect one another and put yourself in the best possible chance where you are available to your teammates, available to what we need to do on the floor,” James said to ESPN.
“The ultimate goal is to obviously win a championship. And it starts with, obviously, health as the No. 1 thing. We’re excited to know that we’ve given ourselves another opportunity to be available to each other, and that’s what it came down to.”
Lakers’ media day was the first time some of the big-name acquisitions from the offseason were seen in the Purple and Gold. Joining James and Anthony Davis were returning stars Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo and newcomers Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook.
During his media availability, Carmelo Anthony revealed he was vaccinated. Anthony Davis gave more insight into the team’s status.
“If I’m not mistaken, I think everyone on the team is vaccinated or almost everyone,” Davis said. “So, I think that’s the main focus for us, making sure that our organization is doing everything we can to help the world, help the community and do our part.”
When asked about his status, Dwight Howard declined to speak on it.
