Covid-19 vaccine has been a hot topic in the first week of training sessions before the NBA (American professional basketball league) 2021 – 2022 season. While most athletes have been vaccinated, there are still some a number of top stars have refused and the league has yet to reach a 100% vaccination rate.

Basketball legend LeBron James was criticized for being ambiguous about getting vaccinated

While vaccination is obviously important in trying to slow a pandemic that is still causing problems globally, it is also important from a basketball perspective, according to CBS . Unvaccinated athletes must follow stricter guidelines and will not be able to have as much time to communicate with teammates, and are at greater risk of being infected with Covid-19, as well as being banned from the field, leading to loss of time. huge income.

Most recently, New York City and San Francisco have forced basketball players to be vaccinated to be able to play at their home stadium. That’s why Covid-19 vaccination rates increased significantly when NBA training camps opened. Even famous athlete Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors Club, who previously requested an exemption due to religion, is now reluctant to get vaccinated.

The NBA is still racing to get 100% of its athletes vaccinated

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However, many top athletes who have received the vaccine have been criticized for being hesitant to encourage others to follow suit and get vaccinated. Among these people is Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James , who said he had been vaccinated but did not want to “set an example” for others to do the same.

“I can say for myself, I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family. I know I’ve been questioned about everything, but I feel like it’s most relevant to not only me but also my friends, we’re talking about everyone’s happiness. I think I personally should not participate in propaganda for others to follow to help the tournament and their livelihoods,” LeBron James shared.

However, many NBA stars, including Enes Kanter (Boston Celtics), mocked LeBron for his equivocal stance on vaccination: “When I heard that and I felt ridiculous. Obviously, LeBron James, he’s one of the faces of the league, and he should be the first one to go out there and say: Listen, people. I got the vaccine, and I’m encouraging people, the community, everyone, basketball fans, non-basketball fans and sports fans to get vaccinated, so we I can save other lives. When I heard that, I couldn’t believe it, so I hope he can convince himself about this vaccination and inspire and encourage those around him.”

Enes Kanter, one of the stars criticizing LeBron James

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Earlier this year, when Covid-19 vaccines first became available, the NBA hoped that famous athletes would appear in public service announcements to help encourage others to get vaccinated. However, most are said to be reluctant to do. This forced the tournament organizers to turn to inviting former legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, along with head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs Club.