Report: Warriors' Wiggins remains unvaccinated, could miss home games
Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins hasn't received a COVID-19 vaccination, casting doubt on his early-season availability for home games, sources told the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons.
The unvaccinated 26-year-old won't be allowed to enter the Chase Center for large indoor events, including games, under San Francisco's current proof of vaccination rules.
Wiggins is reportedly expected to pursue a religious exemption from the NBA to avoid getting the vaccine. However, the San Francisco Department of Public Health can overrule that exemption, according to Simmons.
San Francisco's vaccination mandate doesn't apply to unvaccinated players from visiting teams, though such players still have to adhere to masking and social distancing measures.
New York City, home to the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, is the only other NBA market where such vaccination rules are currently in effect. Earlier this week, Nets general manager Sean Marks confirmed that a "couple" of his players weren't vaccinated, but he didn't expect that to be "any sort of a hindrance to us putting out a team."
The Warriors reportedly attempted to rectify Wiggins' situation by organizing a meeting between him and an Oakland-based doctor. The doctor detailed her experience working with unvaccinated patients and discussed the issues related to vaccine hesitancy, per Simmons. Wiggins reportedly remains steadfast in not getting inoculated.
The earliest Wiggins' vaccination status could impact the Warriors' lineup would be the team's first home preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 6. The regular-season home opener is just under a month away.
Key Warriors dates
- Sept. 27 - Media day
- Sept. 28 - Training camp starts
- Oct. 6 - Preseason home game vs. Nuggets
- Oct. 8 - Preseason home game vs. Lakers
- Oct. 15 - Preseason home game vs. Trail Blazers
- Oct. 21 - Regular-season home opener vs. Clippers