The NBA has issued a memo to its 30 teams, warning that franchises will not be allowed to pursue or administer COVID-19 vaccines on a team-wide basis ahead of public health guidelines for prioritization, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The league will make exceptions for team physicians, health-related personnel, older staff members, and those with underlying conditions, however, Wojnarowski notes.
Throughout the country, states are administering vaccine doses to healthcare workers as the fight against COVID-19 rapidly accelerates. The vaccines come from Pfizer and Moderna, with a country-wide expectation that those with an increased risk of contracting the virus will have access to the vaccine sooner.
Seniors and those with underlying conditions would naturally come next, though many have questioned whether the NBA would move quickly and get its players and staffers vaccinated sooner than expected.
“It goes without saying that in no form or way will we jump the line,” commissioner Adam Silver said last week. “We will wait our turn to get the vaccine. When you think about the logistical feat that now the federal and state governments are undertaking, where if every citizen ultimately requires two doses and with a population of over 300 million, it’s beyond comprehension when you start to begin to think about the logistical challenges of transporting and distributing this vaccine.”
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Veteran forward Quincy Miller has signed overseas in Portugal with Benfica, he announced on social media, as relayed by Ricardo Brito Reis of Sport TV (Twitter link). Miller last played in the NBA with Sacramento and Detroit during the 2014/15 season, also holding experience with Denver. He appeared in 69 total games after being drafted No. 38 overall in 2012.
- Free agent guard Jawun Evans has signed in Greece with Promitheas Patras, according to EuroBasket (Twitter link). Evans, 24, most recently played in the NBA G League with Toronto, making past NBA stops with the Clippers, Suns and Thunder. He was the No. 39 pick in 2017 after spending two seasons at Oklahoma State.
- Villanova has paused all basketball activities after head coach Jay Wright and another staff member tested positive for the coronavirus, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com writes. Wright, 59, is now in isolation with mild symptoms. “Our players have been very diligent and disciplined with all of the COVID protocols,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have had two staff members test positive. I am one of them. My symptoms are mild, and we remain connected as a team and staff by phone and Zoom. I am grateful to our Team Physician, Dr. Mike Duncan, who has worked tirelessly to help guide us safely through this.”