NBA Gives COVID Vaccine Mandate Update
ORLANDO - COVID-19 has played an important role in the NBA over the last three seasons.
In 2020, the pandemic forced the league to detour into a playoff format in a bubble.
In 2021, most arenas limited capacity and players shuffled in and out of COVID protocols.
And in 2022, it shook the core of the Brooklyn Nets as Kyrie Irving became the face of the anti-vaccine movement, leading to the downfall of one of the league's super teams.
It doesn't appear that COVID-19 will have the same impact in 2022-23 as the NBA announced in a league-wide memo that the league will not have a vaccine mandate next season. Yahoo! Sports was the first to report the news.
The memo also revealed that testing may not be required for unvaccinated players like Irving, but that topic will be discussed with the Players' Association at a later date.
With this news, it appears that the desperation that came in the middle of the season where most teams utilized the hardship exception to sign players to 10-day contracts won't be a problem in the upcoming season.
The one exception to any COVID restrictions comes with games played in Toronto, because Canada still has stricter laws in place than the United States. Unvaccinated players like Irving won't be able to play games on the road against the Toronto Raptors unless the laws soften up or if the player gets vaccinated.
All of this news is subject to change, and considering how the NBA has been fluid in its COVID policies, there leaves room for a potential shift if necessary.
