More on Coronavirus
Tom Orsborn: Pop said he doesn't expect Poeltl (health & safety protocols) to return this week. "I am not exactly sure" when he'll be back," he said. "They tell me every day, but I'm not a scientist. I listen to what they say, but I know he is not going to be ready for tomorrow or Friday."
Duane Rankin: "Nobody getting it on purpose," Monty Williams as Joel Embiid has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, expected to miss games. Williams said you can sometimes let your guard down if your vaccinated. Said medical staff doing everything to try to keep everybody safe. #Suns
Gina Mizell: Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe are all out for tomorrow’s game against the Knicks due to health and safety protocols. Danny Green (hamstring) is questionable.
Dan Steinberg: Bradley Beal on Ted Cruz's Twitter support: "I’ve never met you, I don’t talk to you, and I don’t support you or anything you do. ... That’s why I don’t like social media. Ted, you know damn well I ain’t rockin’ with you."
Rich Hoffman: The latest injury report lists Matisse Thybulle in health and safety protocols. Obviously, that means he's out for tomorrow's game in Chicago. Danny Green has been upgraded to questionable.
Yaron Weitzman: Steve Nash asked about the potential of NYC vaccine mandate changing and whether the team would welcome Kyrie back: “I might be speaking out of turn, but I think if the mandate changes he'd be welcomed back for sure.”
Noah Levick: Doc Rivers says Tobias Harris is “not great.” Rivers: “A lot of guys have had this and are like, I’m fine. Tobias is not like that.”
Shams Charania: 76ers forward Tobias Harris is expected to miss several games in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Harris entered protocols tonight.
Eric Nehm: Lengthy injury list for the Bucks for tomorrow night in Detroit. The following players are OUT: - Donte DiVincenzo (left ankle injury recovery) - Jrue Holiday (left ankle sprain) - Brook Lopez (back soreness) - Khris Middleton (health and safety protocols)
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will enter the NBA’s health and safety protocol today and will be OUT for tonight’s game in Charlotte.
Shams Charania: Cavaliers’ Kevin Love has entered health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Love is averaging 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds this season.
The Mavericks have officially announced that COVID-19 protocols at the American Airlines Center will be relaxed starting November 15, when Dallas hosts the Denver Nuggets. The revised health and safety measures are a result of the decline in average coronavirus case numbers and recent actions from local health officials.
Keith Smith: Jaylen Brown says he thinks he is feeling aftereffects of having COVID. Brown said his recovery hasn't been the same: "It feels like I played three games instead of one game." Brown said he has some lingering joint pain and fatigue as well.
Jared Weiss: Tatum told Jaylen his breathing was more the issue in his recoveryr, but Jaylen says the soreness and fatigue recovery has been more the issue for him. "I haven't felt like Jaylen out there every single game...Running up and down the court unimpeded is what I'm focused on."
Brad Townsend: Kidd says Trey Burke is not ill. He missed part of his COVID protocol sequence, so he’s out tonight. But he will travel with the team to Denver.
FedExForum has reversed course and will no longer require fans 12 years old or older to wear masks at Memphis Grizzlies and Tigers men's basketball games. The change was announced Thursday and comes after the Shelby County Health Department's latest directive on Wednesday removing the indoor mask mandate for businesses. The directive remains in effect through Nov. 30.
Tim MacMahon: Mavs G Trey Burke, who is not vaccinated, is out vs. Spurs tonight due to Covid protocols. Kristaps Porzingis will sit at least the first game of the back-to-back due to the lower back tightness that caused him to exit early in Tuesday’s win.
John Karalis: Al Horford is officially questionable to return tomorrow. Josh Richardson is probable with the migraine. Marcus Smart has some fluid in his right knee, he's also probable
Jared Weiss: Celtics announce Jaylen Brown has cleared COVID protocols but is still questionable for tomorrow’s season opener in New York as he ramps up his activity. Al Horford remains in the protocol and is out.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: This tepid kid-glove handling from players who have all gotten the vaccine appears more an attempt to preserve a congenial working relationship than true support for making asinine choices. They’re like the Real Housewives pretending they’ve got Erika Jayne’s back in her legal woes because they still have to go to dinner parties with her. Though they don’t mean to, by not strongly condemning Irving, they are signaling passive support, which is as damaging as joining him on the bench as a vaccine-denier.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Irving has made it clear—in an unclear way—that he is resisting getting vaccinated, not because he’s against the vaccine, but because he’s against mandates: “Just know that I'm rocking with all those that have lost their jobs to this mandate, and I'm rocking with all those that chose to get vaccinated and are choosing to be safe, as well. I'm on both sides of all this. I support and respect everybody's decision.” Respecting everyone’s decision sounds good—sounds so patriotic and All-American. But it’s lame logic. We don’t respect the choice of someone in an apartment building to let mold run rampant because it will make all the tenants sick. We don’t respect the choice of letting your house burn to the ground without fighting the fire because it may burn the neighbors’ houses, too.
Kellan Olson: Asked Monty Williams about the Cardinals' COVID-19 outbreak: "This thing is real. I've had family members affected by it. Early on I lost a niece. I'm on my kids about their masks in school. It's a health issue. It's not politics, it's a health issue. We gotta stay on top of it."
Karl-Anthony Towns on finding out his mom has COVID: “It was difficult because, as her son and someone who loves her so dearly, I just didn’t want to see her in pain. So I was trying to do everything possible to make her comfortable and get her better quicker. So I was doing everything in my power and she was getting worse. COVID causes a lot of swelling. And the swelling is what got my mom. And she got a blood clot on the day she was gonna get taken off the ventilator. She had pre-existing conditions too, but nothing to be worried about. So I flew in, I put the hazmat suit on and everything and I went in there. ’Cause I was like, if anyone’s gonna go see her out, I’ma see her out. I spent some hours with her and I knew it was gonna be the last time., so I was kind of working that out.”
Karl-Anthony Towns on losing 8 family members due to COVID-19 as well as contracting the virus himself: “Eight. I just lost a close one last week to COVID. Another one. I was in the hospital...because I got it during the season. And I got discharged.” - Karl-Anthony Towns
“I just got a lot to deal with, you know. Like I don’t have the time, you know, I think my time is...I look at it as like the most valuable thing I have. I’d rather waste a lot of money than waste my time. And I didn’t want to go to therapy and not be ready to talk. ’Cause then I’m just sitting there. I could bullshit my way through anything. I could give you a sense of feeling, but no feelings. If I go in there, I gotta be ready to talk.” - Karl-Anthony Towns
Jason Anderson: Kings guard Terence Davis said he had COVID-19 right before training camp and the virus hit him pretty hard for 3-4 days.
Yet team management and ownership figures across the league have voiced frustration about double standards for players like Irving, whom the NBA does not require to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, the league does require basketball and business operations staffers to be vaccinated, and they are subject to close contact with unvaccinated players.
There is a belief among ownership figures that this discrepancy could net a concession from the players' union during the next round of CBA negotiations, sources said, especially after media day was dominated by conversation about players’ vaccination statuses. The storyline has only continued casting a pall over this preseason, as the Nets announced Tuesday that they will not permit Irving to join the team until he is vaccinated.
Aaron Rose: Nick Nurse said there were no changes to the team's COVID testing after finding out that Al Horford, who the Raptors played on Saturday, tested positive. He did say, "I think you’re mostly concerned with the guys out there playing against him."
John Karalis: Boston Celtics announce Al Horford has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation
Jay King: Ime Udoka said the Celtics have been “more vigorous” about testing guys for COVID since the Jaylen Brown news and nobody else has tested positive.
Jared Weiss: Jaylen Brown tested positive for COVID-19 today, per the Celtics. Team says he is asymptomatic and quarantining.
Nets Daily: Nets have a daily reminder of COVID’s toll. For past 18 months, New York has stored HUNDREDS of corpses from the pandemic in mobile morgues across the street from HSS. Dead from COVID but unclaimed, poor, unidentified. “Right outside my window,” as one Nets staffer told me.
When Los Angeles’ new city ordinance requiring proof of vaccination to enter a wide range of indoor venues takes effect in November, those rules won’t apply at Staples Center, city and arena officials said, because a health order previously issued by the county covers the home of the NHL’s Kings and NBA’s Lakers and Clippers.
In Los Angeles, an unvaccinated Laker or Clipper could apparently still take part in home games, provided they provide proof of a negative test to comply with the county health order as it applies to Staples Center. The point could be moot for now, as both the Lakers and Clippers in recent weeks have said that their rosters are fully vaccinated, but teams often add new players throughout a season.
Ryan Wolstat: The Raptors are back! Injury report for Oct. 4 v PHI: Gary Trent Jr (left quad soreness) is QUESTIONABLE; Chris Boucher (left middle finger dislocation); Khem Birch (health and safety protocols) and Pascal Siakam (injury rehabilitation) are OUT.
Tim Bontemps: The NBA and NBPA are in the process of finalizing an agreement on COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the upcoming season, sources told ESPN.
Tim Bontemps: The impending agreement will cover the way vaccinated and unvaccinated players will be monitored, sources told ESPN. Unvaccinated players will have restrictions similar to what was in place last season, while vaccinated players largely won’t.
Tim Reynolds: The NBA has given teams a draft of the health and safety protocols for this season. As reported, unvaccinated players will be tested (almost) daily, vaccinated players will not be. Unvaxxed players will also be limited in how much they can be around vaxxed players in team areas.
Fans wanting to attend Grizzlies games this season at FedExForum must present proof of having received at least one vaccination dose, or if they are 12 and over and unvaccinated, must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at least 72 hours in advance, according to a team source on Tuesday.
Chris Grenham: Jayson Tatum says he feels like he's pretty much gotten his wind back following covid. Said he hasn't used his inhaler since last season, which is a good sign.
Gary Washburn: Udoka: "I'm feeling normal. I'm feeling regular." Said he hopes to be back tomorrow. #Celtics
Shams Charania: Nets’ Kyrie Irving will not be at Media Day today in Brooklyn due to health and safety protocols, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Zach Lowe: Kyrie Irving is not expected to attend Nets media day today due to New York City health and safety protocols but the Nets fully expect Irving to accompany the team to training camp in San Diego, sources tell @WindhorstESPN and I.
Adam Zagoria: Kyrie Irving is expected at Nets’ media day Monday, per league sources. We’ll see how it plays out as he’s likely to face a lot of vaccination-related questions in the wake of the @RollingStone story.
Sean Cunningham: Andrew Wiggins request for religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination denied by the NBA. League statement below. pic.twitter.com/kXFGXiS8hy
A number of its players had declined to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots. The team was worried that an outbreak could derail its postseason hopes. Team executives began setting up meetings aimed at swaying the unvaccinated players. They provided data outlining the scientific benefits to them as individuals and to their families as well as information regarding the safety of the vaccine. That didn’t work.
Next, the team tried dangling the NBA’s updated and more relaxed COVID protocols, which made life easier for vaccinated players. They faced fewer tests, had fewer restrictions and, crucially, were not required to quarantine after an exposure to the virus. The unvaccinated players still didn’t budge. Finally, the team tried appealing to the players’ self-interests. There was money to be made in the postseason, it told the players, whether via playoff bonuses, contract incentives, or by flourishing under the spotlight and burnishing their respective reputations.
That pitch didn’t work, either. The team finished the season with less than 70% of its players vaccinated. "We tried everything," a staff member from that team told FOX Sports. "None of it mattered."
Now, with the 2021-22 regular season just a month away and players returning to their local markets for training camp next week, a number of NBA organizations find themselves confronting similar challenges, only with more urgency. The combination of new league protocols and more stringent local regulations could create an environment in which vaccine hesitancy becomes an issue that impacts on-court results. In other words, the final standings this season could very well be impacted by the vaccination status of players.
The NBA, according to a league spokesman, believes that around 85% of its players are currently vaccinated; National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts put the number at 90% during a July interview with Yahoo Sports. Those numbers are about 10-to-15% more than the overall rate of American adults who are vaccinated. But that still means that somewhere between 50 and 70 NBA players remain unvaccinated, an average of more than two per squad. Depending on how those players are grouped, what city they play in, and how good they are, it’s clear that any team entering the season with low vaccination rates will be at a competitive disadvantage.
One player who could be affected is Nets guard Kyrie Irving. According to multiple league sources, Irving has yet to receive a vaccine shot. Both the Nets and a spokeswoman for Irving declined to comment on the record about Irving’s vaccination status, but Nets general manager Sean Marks was asked during a news conference on Tuesday whether New York City’s mandate could sideline any of his team’s players.
It's probably not an overstatement at all to say the Washington Wizards have been affected more by the coronavirus than any other NBA team. They were the first team to experience a major outbreak last season with six of their games postponed in January. Then, star guard Bradley Beal had to exit Team USA just days before the Olympics because of a positive test. And then, during the Las Vegas Summer League, their roster was once again deeply affected by an outbreak, notably preventing point guard Cassius Winston from appearing in a game.
So, while it's a pertinent question for any professional sports team these days, the Wizards' vaccination rate arguably carries more importance as they prepare to enter a new season. Washington general manager Tommy Sheppard addressed the media on Thursday ahead of the team's training camp opening next week and was asked a series of questions about the team's vaccination efforts. He stopped short of specifics to protect players' privacy. "Everything is great. We have our roster, everybody is fully-educated and fully-informed. We will be in compliance and we're looking forward to the season," Sheppard said. "A lot of that stuff, you're getting into some personal and private information. We're not going to go down that road. But we'll be in great compliance with the NBA and moving forward."
Fans planning to head to TD Garden to watch the Bruins or Celtics this season — as well attend concerts — will need to pack a copy of their coronavirus vaccination proof or get a negative COVID-19 test.
TD Garden officials said on Wednesday that starting Sept. 30 guests 12 years old and older will need to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative rapid or PCR coronavirus test. Self-administered or over-the-counter test results will not be accepted. Officials said the timeline on tests — whether they need to have been within 24 or 72 hours of the event — is yet to be determined.
Shams Charania: Sources: The NBA has informed teams of set coronavirus testing protocols for players for the 2021-22 season: Fully-vaccinated: No regular testing Non-fully-vaccinated: One negative test on Practice/Travel day; One negative test on Game Day.
Months after drawing an estimated 100,000 people to downtown's Deer District, the Milwaukee Bucks might revise the basketball team's development plans for sites near Fiserv Forum. That reevaluation is partly motivated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on how people live, work and play, said Peter Feigin, Milwaukee Bucks president.
The phenomena of tens of thousands of Bucks fans during the July NBA title run filling the Deer District plaza, and overflow sites destined for future development, is playing a role in the reevaluation, he said. Among the guiding principles, Feigin said, is how the Bucks "can create a safe, fun meeting place for the state of Wisconsin." Almost 500 COVID-19 cases were later linked to fans who attended Deer District watch parties or a game during the NBA title run.
Shams Charania: Sources: The NBA will return to normal team bench seating for the 2021-22 season, with teams no longer requiring cool down/timeout chairs or assigned seats. Game day personnel are currently expected to be required to wear facemasks at start of season.
Adam Zagoria: NBA announces required vaccinations for referees
The NBA informed teams Friday that all personnel under team control who work within 15 feet of players or referees during games will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the upcoming season, according to a memo obtained by ESPN. The directive specifically includes coaches, front-office members and trainers but stops short of requiring all players to be vaccinated.
Shams Charania: Sources: Any NBA team, arena and personnel whose role involves interactions with players and referees will be required to be fully vaccinated to have in-person interactions for the 2021-22 season — including coaches, front office and medical/equipment staff.
