NBA Players Won't Be Required To Get Vaccine, Likely Because LeBron Said So

NBA players won't be required to get vaccinated to participate this upcoming season because that would be infringing on their rights. Unfortunately, referees, staff and other league personnel will all be required to get the vaccine, according to league sources.

Is it crazy to think that LeBron James' silence regarding COVID mandates is largely why the league won't insist that players follow the same rules as normal folk? James claims he passed on getting involved with the NBA's debacle in China last year since the issues were "too nuanced and complex," so why isn't he speaking up now? It's almost too obvious that LeBron secretly came to the same conclusion most of us did: The players, and any healthy human being, are safe from COVID. That's why the league won't apply a mandate. Forcing rich and healthy athletes to get vaccinated isn't necessary. Players' compliance only helps bring the real target into focus:

The people.

Why would the referees and most staff members be forced to get vaccinated while LeBron James can remain un-jabbed? Only seems fair that both sides see an opportunity to live the same way, right?

Wrong.

The NBA now wants us to believe allowing an un-vaxxed LeBron James sweat and stand face-to-face inches from another un-vaxxed player poses zero threat -- but that an official standing yards away nearly the whole game would suddenly be putting the players at risk. Is that it? If the league wants to argue that the officials and staff are likely more advanced in age so they're more susceptible to more serious cases of COVID, then great. We can all agree there, and that would mean anyone who is young or healthy enough to pass COVID through their systems unscathed should have the authority to make a choice against a mandate.

Why isn't LeBron James standing up for the fans and staff members who are forced to a standard he can ignore? James leaves his 9,440 square foot mansion in a cherry red Ferrari to walk into a facility untouched while everyone else that makes this thing 'go' must inject their bodies, even if they don't want to. That's really sad. Everyone here at OutKick hopes LeBron stands up for staff members and referees, some of whom have been involved with the NBA longer than he has. They should have the same rights.

Roughly 85 percent of the players chose to get vaccinated anyway, and the remaining 15 percent stay anonymous and protected from quitting their jobs. Meanwhile staff members and officials must either take the jab or resign. It's not right.