While the NBA has not mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for players, it has found ways to penalize those who won’t get the jab, including prohibiting them from leaving their home or hotel and restricting where they eat. Now, the league won’t pay players forced to miss games because of their vaccination status. “Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses,” Mike Bass, executive vice president of communications at the NBA, told ESPN. The move comes after a cadre of NBA players, including Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving, refused to either get vaccinated or share their vaccination status, even as top cities such as New York City and San Francisco require proof of vaccinations to enter sporting venues. NBA star LeBron James admitted Monday he was vaccinated, but he said he believed the decision to be vaccinated should be a choice.
