The NBA has held discussions about players receiving COVID-19 vaccines in order to influence the general public, and the African-American community in particular, to do the same, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. Commissioner Adam Silver hopes the league can set an example and foster the belief that the vaccines are safe and effective.
“Several public health officials — and this is operating state by state right now — have suggested there would be a real public health benefit to getting some very high-profile African Americans vaccinated to demonstrate to the larger community that it is safe and effective,” Silver said.
Right now, NBA athletes are not eligible to receive the vaccines until they become more widely available. It has been suggested that players could volunteer at public distribution centers and receive the vaccine in that setting while encouraging the public to follow suit. Michele Roberts, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, has said that numerous players are hesitant about getting the vaccine.
We have more COVID-19 related news:
- There’s been a mixed reaction to the recently-tightened health and safety protocols, according to Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report. Some players and coaches are resistant to the notion of having little to no contact with the outside world. Others say they have little choice. “If we don’t accept that that’s the way it has to be, we lose out on a lot of things. Our season, our health, our contracts, everything goes downhill if we don’t play by these rules,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.
- In the same article, Highkin noted that 28 of the NBA’s 30 teams have a partnership with Delta Airlines, which has not mandated that its flight crews get tested for COVID-19 despite lobbying from the league’s medical leadership. Delta crew members must wear masks and can’t come within six feet of any NBA personnel, but several teams still refuse to eat on team planes.
- The league is determined to continue playing despite a rash of postponements due to virus-related issues, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. An unnamed Western Conference executive told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that resistance to playing in another bubble-like environment made these issues inevitable. “Nobody wanting to go back to a long bubble period of play has put us in this position,” he said. “It is doable but sub-optimal.”
Wow Delta = nasty I wouldn’t eat that food either. Talk about optics won’t be flying with them when all this is over. Rather sit on a Greyhound filled with butt gas.
I’d rather get sick from smelling a nasty pre-doo doo warning toot then die from covid because some corporate jackasses wouldn’t shell out a few bucks for testing.
I agree with the big picture point you’re making. Delta lost over $40M a DAY in Q2 and are still losing $24M a DAY as of now. Testing is a drop in the bucket compared to that type of cash burn. But it does illustrate just how much many of the ‘big’ ‘rich’ companies are hurting from a financial standpoint.
Well put. But the bottom line is if they want my business back, Delta needs to represent change.
Probably union rules.
I seem to remember at the start of all this the NBA players saying they wouldn’t take PPE or rapid COVID tests that were crucial for hospitals and other 1st responders.
They did a pretty good job of that, assuming everyone had plenty of all that by the time the bubble started.
Then they stated they would NOT jump in line for the vaccine, but I guess the billions of dollars may be changing Silver’s and Robert’s mind. From all the news reports I’m seeing, there isn’t a problem in gaining the public’s trust yet. They are talking about people crashing the systems trying to get appointments to receive the vaccine. Also about the months long wait people are getting when they are able to make an appointment. Plus the miles long lines for people with appointments trying to get the vaccine.
There are also plenty of other athletes in other sports that are looked up to and admired that could step up if they need some good examples of faith in the vaccines.
At least be honest and say you want these players to jump the line so you can prevent potentially billions in lost revenue vs telling me it will help make people want to get vaccinated.
I’m tired of people of superstar stature or wealth running around saying all the right things, but then turning around and expecting special treatment. Make an appointment and wait in line like the rest of us. I’m not gonna get a vaccine shot because an actor, politician or an athlete gets one.
Come on Silver, don’t diddle on my leg and tell me it’s raining.
While I mostly agree with your comment, there are a lot of dumb people out there who might be encouraged to get the vaccine if they would see a famous person get it. Shouldn’t be that way, but it will be for some.
Not that I’m advocating for that type of approach. Just saying never underestimate the stupidity of man.