For weeks we’ve heard about the NBA players who are choosing not to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and the complications that could ensue when they play in vaccination mandated cities New York City and San Francisco.
It’s turning into a complicated issue with training camps already underway, and Wednesday an answer to the biggest question regarding this issue was revealed.
Players who miss games because of the mandates will not be paid for any games that they miss.
Here’s the official word laid down by Mike Bass, the Executive VP of Communications for the NBA. “Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses.”
That could be very expensive for players for the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets who are not vaccinated.
Specifically, Kyrie Irving of the Nets, and Andrew Wiggins of Golden State, who both have so far not taken the shot.
For Irving, he would be forced to miss all 41 Brooklyn home games, plus two against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and one game at Golden State. That’s a total of 44 missed games. Over half of his salary would be forfeited.
Irving is set to make $33.3 million in the upcoming season.
Wiggins is far less accomplished in the league than Irving, but compensated almost as well. He’s set to earn $29.54 million, but he would be forced to miss 43 games if he goes unvaccinated.
It will be interesting to see how this news motivates those players, as well as the 50 or so others in the league who have chosen to forego the vaccine for now.
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