Jim AgnamKyrie Irving, NBA and Covid-19 Mandate Insanity
What’s going on with the NBA and Covid-19 mandate? It seems like a violation of civil rights for players who have not gotten covid yet. I know there was an outbreak last year, but it doesn’t seem like they would be in danger now when many others are vaccinated. What about those people who can’t get Covid vaccines because they don’t want to take them or for religious reasons?
It is NOT about Science.
If we follow the science, it is clear that the very few unvaccinated players do not pose a real threat to the mostly vaccinated players or the cities as a whole. Case in point, vaccinated and unvaccinated players are allowed to play together, bumping and hugging each other. How do we know this, visiting unvaccinated players are allowed to play, regardless of local mandates, yet home unvaccinated players are not allowed to play in their home arenas if a local mandate forbids them. How can the NBA seat by and not fight such idiotic policies. These rules are obviously not in the health interest of the players or localities.
Players played last year in the middle of the pandemic with no vaccines available.
A year ago, Kyrie Irving, a 2011 Rookie of the Year, played through the entire season despite not being vaccinated for Covid-19, just like all his peers around the league. This means last year, 0% of players were vaccinated. They played their entire season and there was no outbreak. Now there’s a vaccine, and it’s supposed to be effective at protecting the vaccinated In addition to this, more than 90% of the league is vaccinated and this number could be as high as 97% depending on who you listen to. If they could play last year without causing an outbreak, why can they not play safely this year, especially with such a huge vaccination rate. So we ask, why are the very few unvaccinated players now under pressure to get their shots? And why can’t the NBA fight unequal enforcement in specific ordinances? The distinction between home and visiting players is crazy.
NBA turning its back on Kyrie Irving.
It’s seems like the NBA is turning against the Brooklyn Nets point guard who has other works in the community. That’s a direct insult to the community that Irving cares for. The amount of money Kyrie stands to lose if he maintains his stance is astronomical. By some estimates he stands to lose more than $20, 000, 000 (Twenty million dollars).
The NBA is supposed to be a community that players are working together with team owners and league officials. It’s not supposed to be just about the business of basketball. It’s also about what they do for their communities and making a difference out there. Why the league not celebrate this instead of trying to silence Irving? The fans should support Kyrie Irving in his fight against unequal enforcement on visiting players. This has become so political and it turns people off. Just ask Draymond Green.
Kyrie Irving, NBA and Covid-19 Mandate Insanity: Unfairness Kyrie
Ultimately, the NBA discriminates against players who have refrained from the Covid-19 vaccine for safety or religious beliefs. If you’re going to be fair, then please do so across all players equally. Don’t have some unvaccinated players be able to play every game, while others can feasibly loose half their income for missing home games. Imagine missing a home game because a player did not take the vaccine, but then watching another unvaccinated player playing in the same game. That does not sound like fair.
The NBA should fight unequal enforcement of Covid-19 mandates, especially for those who did not get the shot when they played through an outbreak last year without a vaccine available. It seems like a violation of civil rights to make this group take it now when so many others can protect themselves with vaccination.
In addition, people who don’t want to take the Covid vaccine should be exempted from this requirement. The unvaccinated are not a threat to the vaccinated. This is so because the science of vaccine says so.
