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Adam Silver: More than 70% of NBA players have received coronavirus vaccine

NBA commissioner Adam Silver

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: Adam Silver Commissioner of the NBA looks on during the second half in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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An anonymous NBA player and agent said in February most players were reluctant to receive coronavirus vaccines.

But people have generally become more willing to get vaccines as doses actually come available.

Apparently including NBA players.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, via Sean Gregory of Time:

More than 70% of our players have received at least one shot.

As of nine days ago, just over half of adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Obviously, the rate has only increased since.

Given the stated skepticism of vaccines, it wasn’t always clear this many NBA players would get inoculated this quickly. But many more players wanted to get vaccinated. Presumably, even more will get vaccinated as doses become more available.

That will keep both them and those around them safer and hasten a return to normalcy. The NBA has implemented relaxed restrictions for teams with 85% of players and 85% of staff fully vaccinated.

The league is still experiencing coronavirus cases as the vaccinations take effect. Even after the first injection, that’s a multi-week process.

But as Silver notes, most NBA players are either fully protected or on track.