The NBA Is Not A Vaccination Battleground
With the NBA season starting, one of the best events of the year kicked off in late September: Preseason Media Days, where sports-fans get unbridled access to basketball elite for the first time since last season. The range of personalities on display usually makes for a lighthearted time and always seems to spawn viral moments. However, this year's Media Days were different. COVID-19 and the vaccination status of top players dominated the conversation and made headlines across the country. Multiple All-Stars, including names that have been mainstays in the NBA’s upper echelon for years like Bradley Beal, have come out against possible League-wide mandates. While sports and politics have always been linked in the cultural zeitgeist, this cross-section has been on particular display with the tension surrounding vaccination mandates on a national scale. With misinformation becoming a defining issue for politics, media outlets have increased responsibility in showing discretion in their reporting. Deciphering the line between simply reporting the news and promoting irresponsible ideals has always been a struggle, which this year’s Preseason event made abundantly clear.
Star players like Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggens, and Kyrie Irving are often focuses of the NBA media limelight for their stellar play or contract negotiations. This year, they were spotlighted for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While the League doesn’t require its employees to receive the shot, players must comply with local laws regarding vaccine status to enter the arenas in which games are played. Because of this, the unvaccinated status of certain players will likely lead to missed games and practices. An example of the wide reaching effects this would have on absences is illustrated by players in New York City, specifically Kyrie Irving. The vaccination mandate there makes it impossible for unvaccinated athletes to play in public arenas, meaning that Irving would miss the 41 home games the Brooklyn Nets have on their schedule this year along with 2 games in Madison Square Garden. Irving is on the verge of signing a 4-year contract extension worth $187 million dollars that is now in jeopardy if his hold-out continues. Star players like Irving, and their decisions, have massive implications for both the city and the team they play for.
The combination of political action and athletic consequence has shifted usually sports-centric coverage to a far more politically charged space. Traditionally civic outlets like The Hill and Al Jazeera, who do not normally cover sports or Media Day, released reports about statements made during the event. Even Ted Cruz got into the mix by tweeting support for the anti-vax players.
Cruz, T. [@tedcruz]. (2021, September 29). I stand with Kyrie Irving. I stand with Andrew Wiggins. I stand
with Bradley Beal. I stand with Jonathan Isaac. #NBA #YourBodyYourChoice [Tweet]. Twitter.
https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1443269646006767622?s=20
Despite around 90 percent of NBA players being vaccinated, the high-profile nature of the league’s dissidents led to massive amounts of attention paid to the rare detractors. While indicative of a hot button issue in the country, this attention is misplaced and potentially irresponsible.
Political activism in sports is not a new phenomenon. From Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the 1968 Olympics to Colin Kaepernick’s protests against police brutality, athletes often leverage their fame for political goals. This feels different. Players like Beal, Wiggins, and Irving are not lifting marginalized voices or bringing their unique perspectives to an otherwise underserved conversation. They are promoting a dangerous message that fans a fire still ravaging large swaths of America. Media outlets covering this as anything more or less do a disservice to their readers by elevating the message as a political act.
Of course, it is not as easy as just saying they should not report on this trend. People depend on the media to tell them about what is going on in whatever world they’re interested in. This valuable resource should absolutely extend to sports fans and will often, by definition, include details about athletes’ personal lives and feelings. But that doesn’t mean all coverage is good or beneficial to the ongoing conversations we are having as a country. By framing the NBA as a battleground of vaccine mandates, these outlets are elevating certain voices based solely on status and ignoring the reality of the League. The vast majority of players are vaccinated, and many messages in support of vaccines have been given by members of the basketball world. Of course there will be individuals in any organization who object. That shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. News organizations acting like it is a remarkable or enlightening fact are doing a poor job of framing the issue, giving authority to those who do not deserve it.
Media has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with public distrust of the news increasing at an alarming rate. The balance between responsible reporting and sensationalization has never seemed so delicate. Sports media is not insulated from this trend and the NBA Preseason Media Days showed how this responsibility can be squandered, leading to consequential political effects.