Michael Jordan Picks A Side On The Vaccine Debate

Many in the NBA community are split on the league's COVID-19 protocols, but Hornets owner and Bulls legend Michael Jordan is steadfast in how he feels.

Jordan sat down with Craig Melvin of NBC's Today on Monday to talk about the protocols and said he's a believer in science and always will be.

"I am total in unison with the league. And I think everybody, you know, has been speaking about the vaccinations," Jordan said. "And, you know, I'm a firm believer in science and, you know, I'm going to stick with that and hopefully everybody abides by whatever the league sets the rules. I think once everybody buys in, we're going the be fine."

Jordan's remarks come as players such as Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Magic forward Jonathan Isaac have been outspoken about not taking the vaccine. It was just this morning that Nets general manager Sean Marks announced that Irving will not play until he's fully vaccinated, which he's not likely to do. Irving is not permitted to play in home games unvaccinated due to the New York state mandate for indoor events/gatherings.

The other option would be to trade Irving, which might end up being the final result. One can only imagine if this was going on during Jordan's era and with a key member of one of his teams. If Scottie Pippen looked Jordan in the eye and said he wouldn't play because he won't get a shot, Jordan might've actually lost it. And Pippen might have been on a different team that same day.

But this is the current era and Irving among others will surely test the limits and the league's protocols. As for Jordan believing in the science, it is true that getting vaccinated does help protect you from COVID-19. But it's also the same for natural immunity, which has been proved by numerous studies including the popular Israeli study, to be just as good in preventing individuals from contracting the virus.