Tim Bontemps discusses the financial implications for players who have to miss games because of executive orders regarding vaccination requirements. (1:14).
Sources told ESPN that the NBA has crossed the 95% threshold for its players. This is a result of a steady increase in vaccinations since the opening week of training camps.
This uptick, which includes players who have received only one shot of vaccination, sources say, comes as unvaccinated athletes prepare for salary losses for games that are missed in New York and the Bay Area due to local governmental mandates.
Although the story of unvaccinated athletes such as Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn and Bradley Beal of Washington dominated the news coverage surrounding Monday's opening of training camps, teams indicate that there have been many factors contributing to the rise in player participation.
The NBA had about 90% of its players immunized by the time it opened training camps.
The NBA and Players Association reached an agreement on strict policies regarding unvaccinated players for this season. This includes isolation from colleagues and staff.
Unvaccinated players will be subject to many of the same restrictions as the entire league was under during the last season before the COVID-19 vaccine became available.
However, vaccinated players will be subject to far fewer restrictions. All fully vaccinated players as well as Tier 1 personnel (coaches and any other person working within 15 feet of referees and players) will not be subject to daily testing.
Players who aren't fully vaccinated should be prevented from sitting together in teams.
The use of face masks will remain the same for all players, vaccinated or not. This is a requirement under both federal, state and local laws.
All team staff and NBA referees must be vaccinated.
Irving was not the only one who was affected. Andrew Wiggins, a Golden State Warriors wingman, could also be barred from playing in home games because of executive orders in San Francisco or New York that require everyone to have been fully vaccinated before they are allowed to entertain indoors.
These orders are only applicable to players in those markets. Players outside of these markets are exempt from the orders. Executive orders can cause players to miss games and they will not pay for them.
The league denied Wiggins' request to have a religious exemption.
This report was contributed by Tim Bontemps and Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
