Union exec: We didn’t agree to no-vax, no play, no pay
Michele Roberts is still hoping to get NBA players vaccinated at 100%, but she rejects any criticism about her clients’ hesitancy and is prepared to fight the league on withholding pay, the union executive director told the Daily News.
“We’ll see about that,” Roberts said Wednesday. “They’ve been reporting that we’ve agreed that if a player who was not able to play because of his non-vaccination status, they could be docked (pay). We did not agree. The league’s position is that they can. We’ll see. If we get to that point, we’ll see.”
The union voted against mandatory vaccination, but two NBA markets — San Francisco and New York — carry local government requirements of at least one shot for indoor gatherings. The NBA announced last week that players unable to play because of vaccination status will lose game checks.
It may affect Nets star Kyrie Irving, who reportedly is unvaccinated and is also a union vice president. Irving can’t play games in Barclays Center or practice in the team’s facility in Brooklyn.
He could lose approximately $383,000 for every home game missed due to protocols, according to ESPN.
“Our position is no (the league cannot punish a player for being unvaccinated),” Roberts said. “The league’s position is that we don’t need your agreement because the CBA allows that anyway.
“It’s debatable. We’ll see. I’m not going to say it’s impossible, but I’m going to say it’s a bridge we’ll cross, if and when we get there. Right now, we’ve agreed that if a player breaks protocols, he can be disciplined to include some taxing of his comp. But not being vaccinated — because it’s not mandatory — in and of itself should not lead to any discipline.”
Roberts spoke to The News following a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Bronx to unveil a new charter school, “The Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School,” the brainchild of the former Knicks great Earl ‘The Pearl’ and award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores. Roberts, who is from the Bronx, was a guest speaker at the ceremony. NBA commissioner Adam Silver also attended but didn’t talk to the media.
Influential NBA players, including LeBron James and Draymond Green, have publicly denounced mandatory vaccination by calling it a “personal choice.” All-Star Bradley Beal said he’s unvaccinated while questioning the shot’s efficacy and harmful side effects.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins reluctantly received the vaccine because he otherwise couldn’t play home games in San Francisco. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence toward the benefits and safety of a vaccine, players were roundly criticized for being more defiant than educated on this subject.
“We were against mandatory vaccination because the union’s membership appreciated that, given all the information, that players would make the best decision for them,” Roberts said. “And said, ‘I want to be vaccinated.’ We’re still working toward 100%.
“But the members voted that it would not be mandatory. Now we’re feeling pretty good about the safety of the vaccine, but there was a time when many people, including myself, were skeptical. And people make fun of the players who say they want to do my research. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what I expect anyone would do. We’re doing a lot better than anybody else in this country. So I reject any criticism. We’re doing better than companies who are mandatory vaccinations because we’re at 95-96%. One-hundred percent is still an aspiration.”
Roberts, who is retiring as union president at the end of the year, said she believes the number of unvaccinated players “will be down to a dozen” in the next couple weeks.