Unvaccinated NBA players in several markets will not be allowed to enter home arenas or facilities for games and team activities unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA is following local government policies in New York and San Francisco and it applies to unvaccinated Nets, Knicks and Warriors players who will not be allowed to play in home games. However, visiting players would be exempt from the vaccination requirements in New York City or San Francisco.
According to The Associated Press, the NBA also informed teams that media workrooms will return in the 2021-22 season and that separate press conference rooms — that will hold at least 15 distanced people — for both home and road teams must be available. Entertainment during games can also be reinstated at the team’s discretion as long as all of the performers around players and referees are 100% vaccinated.
The league’s COVID-19 mandates follow after the league informed all teams on Aug. 27, 2021, that personnel who work within 15 feet of players or referees during games must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 this season. The mandate applies to coaches, front office members and trainers but does not include that all players be vaccinated.
The COVID-19 policy also applies to broadcasters, scoreboard operators, photographers. security personnel, locker room attendants, medical personnel, equipment managers and food and beverage handlers and providers. An Oct. 1 deadline has been set for all team personnel to be fully vaccinated and the league also kept open the possibility of issuing a booster shot at a later date.
According to NBAPA director Michelle Roberts, 90 percent of active NBA players have gotten the shot. Training camps for the 2021-22 NBA season opened on Sept. 28 and the season officially kicks off on Oct. 19.
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