NBA to Withhold Pay of Unvaccinated Players Who Miss Games

The NBA announced that it will withhold pay for players who miss games this season due to their vaccination status. On Wednesday (Sept. 29), the league revealed the news. “Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.

via: Axios

Why it matters: San Francisco and New York — where the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are based — have vaccine mandates in place that require players to be vaccinated before playing in their home arena. Players on those teams who are not vaccinated could miss up to 41 home games next season.

The NBA had previously proposed a vaccine mandate, but the National Basketball Players Association rejected the proposal, according to ESPN.

Details: The NBA’s executive vice president of communications Mike Bass announced Wednesday the league’s pay policy regarding vaccine mandates, per ESPN.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was denied a vaccine exemption last week and called his vaccination status “private” in a press conference earlier this week, according to ESPN.
“It’s my problem,” Wiggins said when asked about the possibility of losing earnings. “Not yours.”

NBA star Kyrie Irving, who has not publicly stated whether or not he’s vaccinated, was not at the Brooklyn Nets media day on Monday as a result of New York’s order, per ESPN.

Driving the news: In New York, the order which went into effect this month mandates that home team athletes must have at least one shot.

San Francisco’s policy, which goes into effect next month, requires proof of full vaccination for anyone attending or participating in large indoor events.

The New York Knicks announced Friday that the entire organization was vaccinated.

Of note: Visiting players are exempt from local mandates, per ESPN.

About 90 percent of the league is fully vaccinated, including LeBron James, who revealed his vaccination status to reporters earlier this week. “I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family,” the Los Angeles Lakers star said. “After doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited for not only me, but for my family and my friends, and that’s why I decided to do it.”