Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins had a media session amid the controversy surrounding his hesitation to get the Covid-19 vaccine, after saying in March that he didn’t plan to get the shot. However, the Canadian was quite straightforward to let people know that his vaccination status wasn’t “none of your business.”
While the NBA doesn’t require Covid-19 vaccine for players, they are subject to local requirements. In the case of San Francisco, city health rules require anybody, including NBA players, to show proof of vaccination to attend a large, indoor event.
If Wiggins doesn’t get the Covid-19 vaccine, he is risking missing every game the Warriors play at the Chase Center. That also means that he could lose half of his $31.6 million annual salary, if forced to miss games. “I know,” he said when asked about it. “It’s my problem, not yours.”
Wiggins is “confident” in his beliefs, said teammates support him
The Canadian was reluctant to discuss the matter with the press, saying that anything related to his vaccination or playing status he would like to keep “private.” However, he explained that “what’s right to one person isn’t right to the other and vice versa.” Yesterday, it was reported that the NBA denied him a “religious exemption” from the vaccine.
While he admitted that his “back is definitely against the wall,” he’s going to “keep fighting” for what he believes. “I’m confident in my beliefs and what I think is right and what I think is wrong,” he said, and added that his teammates have been giving him “love and support.”
Meanwhile, Warriors General Manager Bob Myers also didn’t want to discuss any player’s vaccination status but said that he was “optimistic” that for the first game at Chase Center the team will have all the players available.