Credit: AP – Scanpix
Credit AP – Scanpix

Six-time NBA champion and MVP, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, believes the NBA should require all players and staff to be vaccinated, via Matt Sullivan of Rolling Stone. 

According to the NBA legend, there is no place for unvaccinated players in the strongest basketball league.

"The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in his email to the media outlet. "There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, the staff, and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research.

What I find especially disingenuous about the vaccine deniers are their arrogance at disbelieving immunology and other medical experts. Yet, if their child was sick or they themselves needed emergency medical treatment, how quickly would they do exactly what those same experts told them to do?”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added that he doesn't expect all athletes to be spokespersons on political themes but vaccination is essential in these hard, pandemic times.

"They are failing to live up to the responsibilities that come with celebrity. Athletes are under no obligation to be spokespersons for the government, but this is a matter of public health.

By not encouraging people to get the vaccine, they’re contributing to these deaths. I’m also concerned about how this perpetuates the stereotype of dumb jocks who are unable to look at the verified scientific evidence and reach a rational conclusion," finished the Hall of Famer.

The vaccination theme escalated after NBA stars' (Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins) statements on it. Wiggins claimed: "Yeah, I don't really see myself getting it (vaccine) any time soon unless I'm forced to somehow. Other than that, I'm good."

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