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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has rallied to the defense of NBA players still holding out against getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I stand with Kyrie Irving. I stand with Andrew Wiggins. I stand with Bradley Beal. I stand with Jonathan Isaac," Cruz recently posted on Twitter.
Even amid reports that at least 90% of the league’s players have already been vaccinated, the ongoing debate on the issue has exposed sharp divisions between top league officials and some of its most well-known players.
The standoff comes after the National Basketball Player Association let it be known that a plan, which would require all players to get vaccinated, was a “non-starter.”
Through it all, Brooklyn Nets all-star guard Kyrie Irving has stood out as the league’s biggest holdout.
“Please respect my privacy,” Irving, who also serves as vice president of the union, told reporters in a Zoom meeting in response to questions about his vaccination status.
Irving, who could be forced to miss all the Nets home games given New York City’s indoor vaccine mandate, recently liked Instagram posts from a user who claimed that vaccines implant microchips as part of “a plan of Satan.”
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins also stands to lose half of his salary by missing home games in San Francisco, which like New York, requires all individuals to provide proof of vaccination to attend large indoor events. Wiggins’ attempt at being granted a religious exemption was overturned by league officials.
“And it’s my problem, not yours,” Wiggins told reporters during this week’s media day.
Washington Wizards all-star swingman Bradley Beal is another holdout, opining this week, “I would like an explanation to people with vaccines: Why are they still getting COVID if that’s something that we are supposed to highly be protected from? It’s funny that it only reduces your chances of going to the hospital. It doesn’t eliminate anybody from getting COVID.”
Such comments have raised the ire of many, including NBA legend and social justice icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has called on the league to require that all players be vaccinated.
“We have to educate ourselves so that we understand what is being offered,” he told CNN. “These vaccines are safe and they are effective. And we have to fight this virus as a group. We can’t have certain people feeling, ‘Well, I don’t have to do that.’ That’s insanity.”
Earlier this week, NBA superstar LeBron James said while he has been vaccinated, he will not use his platform to encourage others to follow suit.
“We’re not talking about something political, or racism or police brutality,” he added. “We’re talking about people’s bodies and well-being. I don’t think I personally should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and livelihoods.”
After having players out last season due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone told the Houston Chronicle the team is “100% vaccinated.”