Unvaccinated Warriors player could cost home team the advantage



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Andrew Wiggins could cost the Golden State Warriors the advantage at home due to San Francisco’s COVID rules for attending major events in the city.

Vaccine-eligible and unvaccinated people will not be allowed to attend events at the Chase Center that have more than 1,000 participants, regardless of the reason for not being vaccinated or if they have recently tested negative for COVID-19. , according to the San Francisco Department of Health. This mandate also applies to players, which means Wiggins, who said in March that he would not be vaccinated, could not enter the arena.

“I don’t really see myself getting it anytime soon, unless I have to,” the Warriors forward said at a press conference in March on getting the vaccine. Wiggins has not yet been vaccinated, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

It would be a big blow to the Golden State, who are trying to compete for another NBA championship after losing Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to injury in the past two seasons. In 2020-2021, Wiggins averaged 18.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while setting a career-high 47.7% on the court, including 38% on the three-point field.

In a note sent to all NBA teams earlier this month, the league noted that it would follow laws promulgated by local governments regarding vaccination requirements. He specifically cited San Francisco and New York regulations that would essentially ban any unvaccinated Warriors, Knicks and Nets player from playing home games.

The NBA also noted in the note that an unvaccinated player who did not have an approved exemption for medical or religious reasons, and whose status in this regard limited his availability to his team, could be considered in violation. of its contractual obligations and therefore liable to fines, suspensions and / or loss of salary.


Wiggins could apply for a religious exemption, but the City of San Francisco can override such an exemption.

Training camps open on September 28, with the Warriors opening the preseason on October 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers, with Golden State’s regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers scheduled for October 21. October. Nine of the Warriors’ first 12 games are at the Chase Center.

The Washington Post and the Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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