After publicly admitting his lack of enthusiasm in getting a COVID-19 vaccine, Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins caused a real stir for the first time in his NBA career.

Being traded to the Golden State Warriors might have been the luckiest break possible in Andrew Wiggins' career. Wiggins left the no winning culture and got to a team that made five straight Finals appearances with a championship lineup.

Andrew Wiggins Unease at Idea of COVID-19 Vaccine

The damage done by Andrew Wiggins would take some real PR work and a retraction of this statement for the backlash to stop. Some fans even mentioned online that Wiggins should have taken the "LeBron route" to talk about the vaccine.

In May, LeBron James was among the players in the league that was hesitant to be inoculated. However, the NBA released a report on why LeBron James was not put into isolation before the NBA playoffs and confirmed that the Lakers star got his vaccination against COVID-19, Silver Screen and Roll reported.

The statements of Wiggins would revive the issue in the past that sportspersons should not have a public voice. The recent statement from the Warriors forward also made it a lot harder for the league and the government to endorse the vaccines to some individuals that they could possibly convince.

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NBA's Vaccination and Impact on Communities

Based on the latest numbers worldwide, around 37.5 million people have already received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Despite the rise in cases during this second wave all across the world, most individuals who received their vaccination showed minimal symptoms of the virus and recovered quickly.

The vaccination program initiated by every country in the world is considered an opportunity for the emergence of going back to life.

The sheer speed at which the vaccines for this disease have been pushed through has caused unease, especially from the detractors in the medical community. However, speaking out about the vaccination drive as an NBA player is something unusual.

NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell made themselves role models in their community. The two basketball icons educated the African-American community about the effects of the vaccine. They became one of the initial recipients of the vaccine and encouraged Black Americans to be inoculated.

Before the 2020-2021 season began, Adam Silver was firm about coaches, players, and employees of teams getting the vaccine when given a chance. 

Last March, the NBA announced that there would be added benefits for players who would get a vaccine during the season.

The extra benefits are their way of incentivizing players to get it in the first place. Many people could become more open to the idea of getting the vaccine themselves if famous athletes will be on board in getting the vaccine. 

Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors players will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to play games at Chase Center due to restrictions in San Francisco unless they receive medical or religious exemptions. 

The players will also need to get a jab in order to partake in team activities at the organization's training facility. However, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that visiting players are exempt from that requirement. Thus, they can still play at Chase Center with or without their vaccination.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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