Andrew Wiggins: 'I was forced' to get COVID-19 vaccine | Inquirer Sports

Andrew Wiggins: ‘I was forced’ to get COVID-19 vaccine

/ 02:11 PM October 06, 2021

(FILES) Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a portrait during the Golden State Warriors Media Day at Chase Center on September 27, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by EZRA SHAW / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins said he felt “forced” to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA,” the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 said Monday. “It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I’m still healthy.”

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The city of San Francisco has a health order that prevents unvaccinated people from entering certain large indoor spaces, including Chase Center, the Warriors’ home arena.

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“It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that’s going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time,” Wiggins said. “It’s not something I wanted to do, but I was forced to.”

The 26-year-old applied for a religious exemption with the NBA but was denied, and thus risked forfeiture of at least half his $31.5 million salary for the 2021-22 season if he didn’t receive the vaccine.

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Wiggins said he got the Johnson & Johnson single-dose shot, adding he is the only one in his family who is vaccinated.

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“I guess to do certain stuff to work, I guess you don’t own your body,” he said. “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.”

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Wiggins averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 71 games last season for the Warriors.

The 2014-15 Rookie of the Year is entering his eighth NBA season. He has played for Golden State since a February 2020 trade with Minnesota, where he played his first five-plus NBA seasons.

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He’s averaged 19.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 525 career games (all starts).

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