Best shot takes on new meaning
It is a delicate dance, even in the NBA, when it comes to players taking their best shot.
With COVID-19 vaccines becoming more available and availability already in place for some NBA players, the Miami Heat soon will face a medical decision that also could affect the team’s ability to consistently field representative rosters.
With numerous Heat players sidelined this season because of contact tracing, being vaccinated apparently would allow the team to sidestep such mandated absences, as commissioner Adam Silver said during All-star Weekend two weeks ago.
“The CDC has already announced when you get vaccinated, you don’t need to quarantine as a close contact,” Silver said of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “As you know, many of our players have had to sit out not because they tested positive but because they were required to quarantine because of a close contact.”
Silver said such vaccine decisions would be left to individual players, many of whom routinely bypass the annual flu shots made available by teams.
Heat owner Micky Arison, 71, made his own personal statement Monday, posting an Instagram photo of his vaccination, with a caption, “#Wearamask
#Getvaccinated #Savelives.”
For Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, 50, it is a bit of a more delicate dance, seemingly careful not to create the appearance of influencing his players’ medical decisions based on potential basketball advantages.
“We’ve had preliminary meetings of discussions about it,” Spoelstra, said, with the Heat facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Americanairlines Arena. “We have not done a tally to see officially who wants
to do it or not, yet.
“We are still in the process of finding out more information and then trying to secure availability. And when that happens, we’ll take the next step.”
Guard Goran Dragic said it is something to consider.
“It’s a good question,” he said. “I feel like a lot of people are getting vaccines, so it’s a lot more research out there. I know a couple of people that got it. I would consider it, definitely. If that’s going to help, definitely I would take it.”
Spoelstra said he expects the discussion to be similar to taking the flu shot. The difference is there is no mandatory contacttracing absence related to being non-vaccinated for the flu.
“It’s not that much different. I’m talking about the context of a flu shot,” Spoelstra said. ”That is their personal right and decision. Obviously, this is a different scenario league wide. But we’ll continue to gather more information, try to educate everybody in our building as much as possible. And then let everybody make their own decision on it.”
Silver, in his comments, said there would not be overt league influence.
“In terms of the education efforts, those are ongoing,” 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.”
Ultimately, the playoffs could be affected by the most vaccinated teams.
“Again,” Silver said, “they have to make personal decisions at the end of the day. But my sense is most will ultimately decide that it’s in their interest to get vaccinated.”