NBA won’t pay some unvaccinated players who miss games — the tactic

The National Basketball Association wants to fully embrace its upcoming 75th anniversary, but internal problems around Covid policies and vaccinations continue to overshadow the milestone.

The NBA’s Covid problems returned to the national spotlight when it announced unvaccinated players in New York and San Francisco won’t be paid if they miss games.

The cities, not the league, issued a mandate that requires eligible people to be vaccinated for entry to public places, including sports arenas. NBA teams opened training camps this week, and most of the chatter was centered around unvaccinated players.

“There’s a whole lot of ignorance on the part of players who will not get vaccinated,” said former NBA player turned scholar Len Elmore. “The NBA is flexing its muscle and has to support mandates for the greater good because that’s really what we’re talking about here.”

Like most vaccine advocates, including NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elmore said science supports requiring vaccinations. Now a professor for Columbia University’s sports management program, Elmore noted the Black community remains at high risk for contracting Covid, adding NBA players should recognize the power they hold through positive messaging.

“We’ve got to protect our communities, and in a league that’s 80 percent Black, these guys have got to understand that,” Elmore said. “The impact of your decision goes way beyond your personal interest,” he added.

The NFL used a similar tactic when it said it plans to finish its 2021 season without delays. The NFL said in July it’s fining players and forfeiting teams if unvaccinated individuals cause outbreaks that lead to postponements. The NFL also fined players who violate mask guidelines at team practice sites.  

Sports leagues are taking a hard stance on vaccines, in part, because media partners lost money on postponed games during the 2020 season. Networks like CNBC parent company NBCUniversal needed to provide make-goods to marketers who didn’t receive viewership impressions for primetime games that were moved due to Covid outbreaks.

The NBA agreed to vaccine mandate terms with its referees last August to avoid disruptions for the upcoming season. The Athletic said in July that 90 percent of NBA players are vaccinated. But, the league hasn’t issued a mandate for players since it can’t find common ground with its players’ union.

In Brooklyn and San Francisco, where mandates are in place, players Kyrie Irving (Nets) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors) are two prominent faces in the NBA that remain unvaccinated. Wiggins attempted to use religious reasons to excuse his status, which the league office denied. And Irving spoke on the Nets’ media day…