NBA Veteran Expresses Fear of Unvaxxed Players ‘Sweating, Breathing’ and Spitting ‘All Over’ Him on CNN

Only 10 percent of the NBA remains unvaccinated. But their hesitancy still causes concern for many of the vaccinated players such as NBA veteran Enes Kanter, who joined CNN’s New Day.

“The majority of NBA players, over 90 percent are vaccinated and they’re 100 percent fine,” Kanter told CNN’s John Berman. “The NBA invests a lot of money and time in health. Players listen to the doctors about everything. Surgeries, diets, injuries – when it comes to vaccination, they should listen to doctors for sure.”

Despite seeing their teammates get vaccinated without issue, some players remain hesitant to get the jab after buying into wild conspiracy theories. A recent report by Rolling Stone claims NBA superstar Kyrie Irving has been following and liking Instagram posts from a conspiracy theorist who believes the vaccine is part of a “plan of satan” to control the Black population.

“Some of the reasons they gave me were mind blowing,” Kanter said of why some players are refusing the vaccine. “They were saying conspiracy theories that the government is trying to put a chip in us…I had nothing to say.”

Kanter knows all about not having trust in the government, considering his home country of Turkey has accused him of terrorism for his criticism of president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Kanter also said he has no issue with teams refusing to pay players for games they miss because of their vaccine hesitancy. The NBA can incentivize getting the jab by loosening Covid restrictions, but they cannot enforce a vaccine mandate without approval from the Players Association. That still doesn’t excuse players from local city laws, which will prevent unvaccinated players from entering their home arenas in New York and San Francisco.

“If you don’t play, what do you expect?” Kanter said to Berman. “It’s a state law to be vaccinated while indoors and the NBA and the players have to follow these rules.”

But according to Kanter, it shouldn’t just be about money. The NBA veteran wants the unvaccinated players to consider their families and teammates as well.

“You got guys all over you,” Berman said, noting Kanter plays a physical brand of basketball. “Sweating on you, breathing on you, spitting on you, how do you feel about the fact that some of those players might not be vaccinated?”

“We are not playing ping pong,” Kanter responded. “This is a contact sport, for 48 minutes a non-vaccinated player will be sweating and breathing all over me all game and I don’t think the players who are vaccinated will be comfortable to go against those guys.”

Watch above via CNN

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