The Athletic’s Shams Charania announced Wednesday that unvaccinated NBA players in markets with local requirements like NYC will not be able to play in home games.
Charania took to Twitter to break the news, revealing that players who refuse the vaccine and do not have a medical or religious exemption will not be allowed to play in home games in said markets.
“Unvaccinated NBA players in markets with local requirements — such as NYC (Knicks, Nets) and SF (Warriors) — will not be allowed to enter home arenas or facilities for games or team activities conducted there unless there’s approved medical or religious exemption,” Charania wrote in a tweet.
“This follows local governmental policies, meaning unvaccinated players on the Nets, Knicks and Warriors are not allowed to play in home games,” he added. “Visiting players are exempt from the vaccination requirements in NYC and SF.
The announcement arrives just two months after NBAPA director Michelle Roberts spoke with Yahoo Sports about the league’s vaccine rollout.
“I mean, we are at 90%, which I, frankly, think is much, much more than I would have predicted a couple of months ago,” she explained. “We had meetings with all the teams. And they were asking those who were inclined to be vaccinated and those who weren’t asking very, very tough questions of our docs.”
While 90 percent of active players have gotten the shot, Roberts maintained that there are still many who have expressed their concerns.
“I’m told that there were team meetings, player only, where they internally discuss their concerns,.” Roberts said. “I thought it was handled overall pretty well. But people saying, look, whether I do or not is my business. Whether you do or not, is your business. And that 90%, which obviously says I support vaccination and [am] happy. But also I wouldn’t stutter, when it came to supporting a player that I know has not been vaccinated, that’s his choice.”
