Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Tells Chuck Todd NBA Players Should Get Vaccinated ‘to Help Black Lives Matter’

With 90 percent of the NBA already vaccinated against Covid-19, the cavalcade continues to rage on in attempting to convince the final 10 percent to get the jab.

Activist, humanitarian, and one of the greatest players in NBA history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has shamed the league’s vocal vaccine-skeptics in the last week. Thursday afternoon, he joined MSNBC and Chuck Todd to continue preaching the need for the NBA to reach a 100-percent vaccination status.

“Anyone that does not understand the need for vaccination is being very irresponsible,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “So many of us have understood that there’s a problem here and don’t want to endanger our teammates…anyone who has not made the effort to educate themselves on the issue really is irresponsible and they should not be allowed to play.”

The NBA has had an easier time convincing its players to get vaccinated than Major League Baseball or the NFL, as both leagues report vaccination percentages in the 80s. But the NBA’s unvaccinated 10 percent has been widely chastised for their stance against the jab. Even LeBron James, who is vaccinated, continues to be condemned for not pushing others to take the shot.

LeBron has been a leader on issues of social justice throughout his 18-year NBA career, but the topic of the vaccine has not moved the basketball superstar to be similarly vocal. According to Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron and other NBA stars should be at the forefront of preaching the need to get vaccinated because of their popularity and influence within the Black community.

“I believe that this need is going to help Black Lives Matter because the Covid-19 is having its strongest effect in Black communities,” the NBA’s all-time scoring leader said.

“The African American community has had the most serious impact of all of this,” Abdul-Jabbar added. “Covid-19 has really wreaked havoc in the Black community and they really need to get behind efforts for vaccination, there’s no excuse.”

Watch above via MSNBC