The NBA enters their celebratory 75th season while their complicated COVID-19 reviews receive criticism. Courtesy of the NBA.
By Andre Adkins Jr, Staff Reporter
Despite many workplaces across the country implementing COVID-19 mandates for their employers, the National Basketball Association has opted not to enforce the vaccine among players. That differs from some Colleges like Cal State Dominguez Hills that have a mandate for their basketball team to be vaccinated. While the NBA might not require their players to receive the vaccine, certain cities prevent NBA players from any activity if unvaccinated.
Several NBA players such as Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, and Johnathan Issac have expressed their uneasiness about receiving the vaccine. Sighting their own personal reasons, criticism surrounds them with their own respective choices. The critique will certainly come from many different angles however, an important question is “what do the College Basketball players think?”
Members of the CSUDH Men’s Basketball team agree it is up to the decision of the player/person if they want to get vaccinated.
Some members of the team do not support the idea that the vaccine should be mandated, and Andre Ball offers a possible compromise that avoids NBA players getting vaccinated.
“If the people who choose not to get vaccinated still get tested daily, I feel like they should let them do what they do,” said Ball.
“I think it is a bit forced and I understand personal choice, it should be their decision, but I do understand public health.” said Alex Garcia
Players from the college level are not the only people who disagree with an enforced vaccine mandate. Fans of NBA basketball also do not support the NBA city mandates.
Basketball Enthusiast Jelani Benton has been a fan of the NBA since elementary school and watches games regularly. Being a fan of the NBA for so long Benton has grown to like many of the sports players like Kyrie Irving. Member of the Brooklyn Nets, Irving is denied the ability to play and practice, due to a vaccination mandate in New York. This ruling is forcing Irving to be vaccinated to participate, and if not he will not be paid his salary for missed games.
“I feel like you can’t make anyone put something in their body that they are not comfortable with. Though whoever does not want it will just have to deal with the consequences of their actions.” said Benton
Irving will face the consequences of his vaccination status, but that is his decision and he will have to see it through.
The NBA has allowed all players to decide if they wanted to get vaccinated or not. However, despite what the NBA’s policy is on the vaccine, it cannot go against the city policy of preventing an unvaccinated player from playing. Though the NBA has stated that if the player cannot play due to the city mandate, that player will not be paid for that period. It is a subtle way of also supporting the vaccination method which, in the opinion of many fans and college players, should be the choice of the NBA player.
