Tuesday, October 5th, 2021
No vaccination – no salary
Unvaccinated NBA stars have expensive problems
The NBA has achieved a tremendous vaccination rate among professionals. Those who do not want to be vaccinated are not forced to do so, but have to bear the consequences themselves: If the rules do not allow a bet, the player has to pay for it. That would be particularly expensive for one of the superstars.
On Friday it will be really expensive for NBA professional Kyrie Irving for the first time because of the corona vaccination requirement. The Brooklyn Nets take on defending champions Milwaukee Bucks in preparation. And the 29-year-old basketball player is apparently not going to play. Not allowed to play. New York regulations require him to show proof of vaccination before entering a gymnasium. If he does not, he falls into the category of unvaccinated professionals according to the corona rules negotiated between the league and the union and thus loses his right to payment in this scenario.
US media have calculated Irving’s loss: $ 380,000. Per batch. Should Irving actually miss all 41 home games of the NBA season starting October 19 for this reason, that adds up to more than $ 15 million.
Vaccination rate in the league at 95 percent
Officially, the vaccination status of the Australian-born player is not known, but all evidence indicates that he is not vaccinated. Even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio made a public appeal: “Get vaccinated,” said the politician. “Your fans want to see you. We all want you back. Your teammates want you back.” When trying to win the title, Nets trainer Steve Nash from his superstar trio can only plan Kevin Durant and James Harden as fixed sizes – Irving, on the other hand, cannot.
This is a competitive disadvantage for the Nets. Because the group of unvaccinated players affected by the numerous restrictions in everyday training is getting smaller and smaller. According to the US media, the quota of vaccinated players in the NBA is around 95 percent, on average there is currently only one unvaccinated professional for each of the 30 NBA teams. As in the NHL, which expects 98 to 99 percent vaccinated players at the start of the season in a week, the rules in the NBA for unvaccinated players outside of New York are much stricter than for basketball players with vaccination protection. Daily tests, a basic mask requirement, places far away from fellow players in the locker room and in another room for meals as well as a ban on going out – without a vaccination certificate, the two leagues have a long list of restrictions.
“Number One Health”
NBA superstar LeBron James was also skeptical by his own account, but has since opted for protection. “The big goal is to win the title. And that starts with health as number one. We are happy to know that we gave each other the opportunity to be available and that is what it came down to,” said the 36-year-old made up his mind. Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors, like Irving in New York, would have missed his team’s home games because of similar rules in San Francisco, but according to his coach Steve Kerr, he has since been vaccinated. Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, on the other hand, is not vaccinated, as is Jonathan Isaac from the Orlando Magic around the two German brothers Moritz and Franz Wagner.
Because the general rules in these regions of the USA are less strict than in New York and San Francisco, these professionals only have to forego the games with the Toronto Raptors because of the Canadian quarantine regulations for unvaccinated travelers. There is no salary for that either. But it will probably not be as expensive for any other unvaccinated player as it is for Irving.