Some Pelicans players, including Nicolo Melli and Sindarius Thornwell, received coronavirus vaccines.
They aren’t alone as NBA players getting vaccinated.
It’s wonderful that these players got vaccination shots. Not only does each vaccination protect the person inoculated, but it also helps protect everyone in contact with that person. The vaccine is safe and a ticket back toward normal life.
Some NBA players are skeptical about getting vaccinated. But people have become far less reluctant as doses go from abstraction to available. Expect many more NBA players to get vaccinated as eligibility expands. Even the healthiest young NBA player will soon be eligible.
Hopefully, these players are remaining quiet because they’re choosing to remain private, not because of external pressure by a team or league that doesn’t want to be seen as jumping the line. Again, eligibility is rapidly expanding to the point NBA players can increasingly get the vaccine without cutting.
Vaccinations should be celebrated, and players should feel allowed to speak out.