Andrew Wiggins says he was 'forced' to get COVID vaccine 'or not play in the NBA'
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins explained why he got the COVID-19 vaccine, saying he felt "forced" to receive the shot.
Wiggins had been hesitant to take the shot, and risked forfeiture of half his $31.5 million salary for the 2021-22 season if he didn't.
The city of San Francisco, where the Warriors play their home games, mandates that anyone over 12 years old must be vaccinated to attend indoor events. At the Chase Center, Golden State players will need proof of vaccination to enter the building.
"The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA," Wiggins said Monday. "It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I'm still healthy."
Wiggins said he got the Johnson & Johnson shot and added he is the only one in his family who is vaccinated.
The former No. 1 overall pick went on about his reasons and complaints about the city's mandate, saying he doesn't blame the Warriors for it.
"They didn't make the rule," Wiggins said. "But I guess to do certain stuff, to work, I guess you don't own your body. That's what it comes down to. If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do. Hopefully, there's a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them."
Wiggins averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season for the Warriors.
"It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that's going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time," Wiggins said. "It's not something I wanted to do, but I was forced to."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors' Andrew Wiggins says he was forced to get COVID-19 vaccine
