October 05, (THEWILL) – Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors revealed his choice to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, saying he felt “forced” to do so in order to prolong his NBA career.
In his first public remarks after vaccination, which was after the Warriors’ preseason opener at the Portland Trail Blazers, Wiggins said: “The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA. It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I’m still healthy.”
Wiggins’ decision follows the league’s recent rejection of his request for a religious exemption. Prior to training camp, Wiggins’ vaccination status was questioned due to San Francisco Department of Public Health requirements requiring everyone over the age of 12 to be vaccinated to attend indoor activities.
Warriors’ players must present proof of immunization before entering Chase Center beginning October 13, unless there is a certified medical or religious exception.
The 26-year-old went into great detail on why he felt hesitant to take the shot, emphasizing that he had no grudge against the Warriors franchise for the way things turned out saying: “They didn’t make the rule.
“But I guess to do certain stuff, to work, I guess you don’t own your body. That’s what it comes down to. If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do.
“Hopefully, there’s a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them.”
Wiggins said he got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which meant he was not going to lose any practice time and will be fully vaccinated before the Warriors’ home opener against the LA Clippers on October 21.
Wiggins said he had previously contracted COVID-19 and claimed it “it wasn’t too bad.” He also said that he had an allergic response to something a few years ago, which he described as a “scary moment” that led to his carrying an EpiPen.
The swingman continued: “I know a lot of people get reactions or injuries from getting the vaccination, so I don’t know what it’s going to do to me in 10 years.
“I feel like I could go on for days about why I didn’t want to get it. Most importantly, I don’t know what’s going to happen or what it’s going to do to my body in 10, 20 years. … But I guess it’s something that had to get done.”
The 26-year-old claimed he has body aches and chills after taking the vaccine, but he was able to play 16 minutes and score 13 points in the Blazers’ 121-107 triumph on Monday. He further stated that he was the sole vaccine recipient in his family.
“It’s not really something we believe in as a family,” he said. “They know that I had to. It came down to get the vaccination or don’t play basketball. I’m 26. I have two kids. I want more kids. I’m trying to do something that will generate as much money as I can for my kids and my future kids, [create] generational wealth. So, I took the gamble, took the risk, and hopefully, I’m good.”
Wiggins expressed gratitude to teammates for some of the public support he got. Draymond Green of the Warriors recently stated that he did not believe it was his position to press Wiggins to get the immunisation.
Wiggins felt grateful for that saying: “It was good. It was nothing but love. Especially from Draymond; [Andre] Iguodala said a lot of good stuff. So, there was a lot of support on the team, but whatever decision I decided to make, they were going to stand by it.
“It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that’s going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time. It’s not something I wanted to do, but I was forced to.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
