One of the ways that the NBA hopes to get through the second half of the season — and to welcome more fans back into the arenas — is through vaccination. But the league is walking a delicate path on a push to get players to buy into being a part of it, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and also helping to promote the use to their communities.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday that he was not aware of any players who had received the vaccine yet, but he said, ” I think ultimately these are personal decisions that players need to make, just like everyone in our communities need to make. We see our role, together with the Players Association, providing them with the best possible information, and also encouraging them to seek out information on their own. They have personal physicians, others they may rely on.
” . . . I also think being realistic, around the NBA, as I said, we have no plans to mandate that players get vaccinated. For any sort of large-scale, required vaccinations to take place, that can only happen with the Players Association.”
Players asked about it Sunday were divided with many still either asking for privacy or waiting for more information. The league already has been working with its medical staff to speak in Zoom calls to all teams.
“That’s a conversation that my family and I will have and pretty much keep that to a private thing,” LeBron James said. “Adam had his comments about vaccination. That’s a conversation between you and your family.”
No surprise
Stephen Curry won the Mountain Dew Three-point competition, although not without a scare. Utah’s Mike Conley and Jayson Tatum advanced to the final round with Curry and Conley put up a 27, setting a mark for Curry to chase. Curry started slow, misfiring on 4 of 5 shots on his first rack. But he converted both of the new “Dew Zone” shots from 29 feet, nine inches which were worth three points each. He then converted 4 of 5 on the last rack, including the last shot, a money ball worth two points, to finish with 28 points and the victory.
Sabonis tops Randle, win Skills Challenge
Julius Randle faced Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, who he had battled for a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team, in the opening round of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. Sabonis, who was the runner-up in the competition last year, bested Randle after connecting on every attempt at a skill set test. Randle missed on his passing accuracy and that was enough to give Sabonis the time he needed to connect on the winning three-point field goal attempt before Randle could get a shot off. Sabonis then disposed of Luka Doncic, who missed his first two passing attempts.
In the other bracket, Nikola Vucevic beat Robert Covington and then beat Chris Paul to reach the finals.
Sabonis, who was added to the All-Star Game to replace Kevin Durant, then captured the title by beating Vucevic in a battle of the big men.
