The NBA announced on Tuesday night that they were finalizing a set of COVID-19 protocols for their forthcoming regular season, but more safety procedures will be required for the unvaccinated players.

The announcement was issued through a memo to the teams, with NBA saying that the protocols were their agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Unvaccinated Player to be Affected by More NBA Safety Protocols

The said protocols that NBA curated will affect more of the NBA's unvaccinated players population. According to reports, many of the same protocols or restrictions enforced by the league when the COVID-19 was not yet available will be reinforced.

Unvaccinated players would have to undergo daily testing before entering a team facility, interact with other players, and take part in team-organized activities. Furthermore, they will also undergo lab-based game-day testing just like what they did last season.

Unvaccinated NBA players would also not be allowed to eat indoors at the same time with other players and Tier 1 personnel and must maintain a six-feet distance from people during treatment sessions. Moreover, players who did not receive the COVID vaccine would also have a designated locker not close to another non-fully vaccinated basketball player, and they will also have a seating arrangement with unvaccinated players far from each other.

Meanwhile, fully vaccinated NBA players would have fewer restrictions to follow this coming season. Fully vaccinated basketball players would not have to go daily testing unless they are symptomatic or they had close contact with someone who tested positive for the notorious disease, or a league physician required them to do so.

Fully vaccinated NBA players would also not need to quarantine if they became close contact, but they need to undergo rapid testing for the next seven days.

The common ground of the unvaccinated and fully vaccinated players on the NBA protocols is that all players will be required to wear face masks at all times. However face masks would be allowed to be removed if the players are engaged in basketball activities, showering, or eating and drinking.

The protocols to be finalized by NBA were announced to the teams as the league's staff were concerned about being exposed to unvaccinated players. Reports claim that staffers said they were upset that the players are not facing the same vaccine requirements that were enforced on most of the team staff and referees.

"Everyone who is vaccinated should be pissed at those who aren't," a veteran assisting coach said.

LeBron James, Other NBA Players Confirm Vaccine Status

On Tuesday, Lakers star LeBron James confirmed that he was vaccinated against COVID-19. In an interview, James said that the "health and safety" of his family was the reason behind why he got the jab.

"Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family, for the majority," James stressed in the interview.

Aside from James, Milwaukee Buck's star, Giannis Antetokounmpo; Portland Trail Blazers guard, Damian Lillard, and Jusuf Nurkic; were among the players who voiced out that they were vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Washington Wizards Bradley Beal and Golden State Warriors' Andrew Wiggins were not vaccinated.

"I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family," James said in an interview on Tuesday.

Although there were unvaccinated NBA players, NBPA Executive Director Michelle Roberts confirmed that over 90 percent of the players were fully vaccinated.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

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