Almost a year into the pandemic, plenty of players have tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the past few months, and 22 games have already been postponed because not enough players are being able to suit up.
Some members of the NBA community, including San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich, are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Gregg Popovich, who turned 72 this week, celebrated his birthday by promoting the COVID-19 vaccine. The oldest head coach of the league was part of NBA’s Public Service Announcement, urging people to do the same and get vaccinated as soon as they can.
“I’m going to get the COVID-19 vaccine shot,” said Popovich. “It will keep me safe, keep my family safe and keep other people safe. Wearing masks is important and to get the vaccine does give you an added level of assurance. Science-wise, it’s a no-brainer. It’s the right thing to do so we can all get on track again. Let’s do this together.”
Since the vaccine has been available, the league has been campaigning and trying to generate awareness for it. Since Popovich is over 65 years of age, he is eligible to receive the vaccine under the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Popovich is the first head coach to get the vaccine in public. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also participated in a similar PSA earlier this month. “We have to find new ways to keep each other safe,” he said. Cynt Marshall, CEO of Dallas Mavericks, also had the vaccine administered recently.
