Report: NBA 'Vaccine Civil War' Exists Amongst Players

 

According to a report by Rolling Stone, in a movement led by proud conspiracy theorist Kyrie Irving (see: "the earth is flat"), the NBA's small minority anti-vaxxer contingent is waging a civil war against the rest of the league's players that are vaccinated and the Association's COVID protocols for the unvaccinated. 

Although all team officials, arena staff and league referees and other employees must be vaccinated this season, there is no vaccination mandate for the players themselves, as the players' union, steered by one of its leaders Irving, has refused to allow it. 

The report states that Irving has been liking social media posts that claim that “'secret societies' are implanting vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for 'a plan of Satan',” and "spreading the misinformation campaign to other NBA locker rooms". 

Inside the NBA's vaccine civil war: Will Kyrie skip home games? Has the league caved to players? Does one player even get how masks work? And what's with that Moderna conspiracy theory in locker rooms?

Spoke to players+execs+docs+Kareem for @RollingStone: https://t.co/NMbaygxQcz pic.twitter.com/Qzbf7hX42q

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) September 26, 2021

NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has spoken out on behalf of the 90% of the league that is vaccinated.

The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team. There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, the staff and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research. 

Earlier this week, the NBA denied anti-vaxxer Andrew Wiggins' attempt to get a "religious exemption" from the vaccine, and he now is facing a San Francisco city law that would require him to miss all 41 home games for his Golden State Warriors. 

The same law exists in New York, which bans anyone not vaccinated from attending large indoor events. That would mean that Irving and any Brooklyn Nets teammates who refuse to get the vaccine could miss all 41 of their home games.

The one player in the NBA who must be most distressed by these developments is Karl-Anthony Towns. The Minnesota Timberwolves all-star center has lost seven family members to COVID, including, tragically, his mother. 

This smoldering "vaccine civil war" will undoubtedly continue to plague the NBA as the season approaches. 

Photo Credit:  Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports