NBA commissioner Adam Silver says “most players” will receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but is not required to do so

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Saturday that the NBA will not require anyone to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, however, he believes that “most players” will eventually choose to do so.

“We are seeing this now, both in the actual number of people being vaccinated in the United States and in opinion polls, that people are becoming more willing to get vaccinated,” said Silver during his virtual All-Star Weekend press conference in Atlanta . “I think, as for those who hesitated, since tens of millions of people now in the United States have received the vaccine, people are seeing, at least in the short term, what the impact is, and are hearing about how incredibly these vaccines are effective.

“My guess is that most players will ultimately choose to get vaccinated. They have to make personal decisions at the end of the day – and I take that very seriously, and I take concerns very seriously. But my sense is most [players] will ultimately decide that it is in their interest to be vaccinated. “

Part of Silver’s logic behind why players will be interested in getting a vaccine is that it will make their lives much simpler. Currently, according to the NBA Health and Safety Protocols, not only do players need to be tested up to three times a day, but they are also subject to quarantine periods, even if they have not tested positive for “close contact” with someone who has.

That’s what happened to All-Star Kevin Durant, for example, twice this season – including last month, when he was initially prevented from a game against the Toronto Raptors, only to be able to play in the middle of the first quarter and be taken out. again in the middle of the third, after an inconclusive test by close contact has turned positive.

In this scenario, if Durant had received a vaccine, he would no longer have to be quarantined.

“In addition to the personal health benefits, the family health benefits and the economic benefits for vaccination, because of the protocols we have in place, they are incredibly expensive for our players and our teams,” said Silver. “But, for example, the CDC has already announced that, if you were vaccinated, you don’t need to be quarantined as a close contact. As you know, many of our players had to be left out not because they tested positive, but because they were forced to quarantine because of close contact.

“So furthermore, now, as we operate under the so-called work quarantine protocol, where players are largely just going between their homes and the arena, once they are vaccinated, they will be able to do more in their communities. And that is something that we have already started talking about with the Players Association. So there will be some real advantages and benefits to getting vaccinated for players. “

The NBA has had to postpone 31 games so far due to the league’s health and safety protocols, with several teams – including Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs – having to lose several games due to the lack of players available to play in one game .

Silver, however, said he believed it was “realistic” to complete the playoffs without mandatory vaccinations for players, because he believes the league’s protocols have largely worked.

“I think it’s realistic, even if we didn’t have the required vaccines because, of course, no one – none of the players – got vaccinated now, and we just had to postpone a relatively small percentage of games,” said Silver. “We know that, for the most part, a test protocol, along with the use of a mask and all the other precautions we are taking, largely works.

“The NCAA tournament will be played this year, and again, without vaccination for its players. For me, we will make further progress if players are vaccinated, but it certainly does not require everyone to be vaccinated.”

Silver did not respond, however, what will happen if there is a situation in which an NBA team has to be closed during the playoffs because of the virus – as the league has had to do several times so far. As soon as the NCAA tournament starts, if a team has a spurt that prevents them from playing, their opponent would advance to the next round by withdrawing.