Ted Cruz Says He Stands With Vax-Hesitant NBA Players, Calls LeBron James ‘Courageous’
Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images
Senator Ted Cruz is publicly backing vaccine-hesitant NBA players.
Vaccine mandates are being implemented across the United States, and this week there’s been a lot of attention on basketball players who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated. LeBron James disclosed he’s vaccinated on Tuesday, after initially having skepticism, but on the question of advocating vaccines for more people, he said, “I don’t feel like for me personally that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies.”
There has been a fair amount of criticism of vaccine hesitancy from Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, and Jonathan Isaac.
On Wednesday, Cruz tweeted his support for all four of them.
I stand with Kyrie Irving.
I stand with Andrew Wiggins.
I stand with Bradley Beal.
I stand with Jonathan Isaac.#NBA#YourBodyYourChoice https://t.co/kn74nwjVRV
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 29, 2021
In early August, as Texas was dealing with a serious covid-19 surge, Cruz introduced legislation that would ban mask and vaccine mandates. He said, “There should be no mandates, zero, concerning covid.”
Cruz even praised LeBron James, who he has criticized in the past, as “courageous.”
3/x @KingJames is being courageous here.
With his box-office power, he could be even more courageous—he could SOLVE the problem—by saying:
“I stand w/ my fellow players. And I won’t play in any arena that bans another NBA player because they make a personal healthcare choice.”
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 29, 2021
Former coach Stan Van Gundy blasted Cruz and mockingly remarked, “Hell just froze over — Ted Cruz standing with Black people.”
Hell just froze over — Ted Cruz standing with Black people.
— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) September 29, 2021
But this may actually change their mind. I mean if Ted Cruz is on your side it probably means you need to re-evaluate your position.
— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) September 29, 2021
Cruz accused him of caring more about “being a woke Leftist” than the medical decisions of players.
Stan Van Gundy proves he cares more about being a woke Leftist than actually supporting his own players’ rights to make their own personal medical decisions. https://t.co/PUhkPsnHPf
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 29, 2021
Your party…founded the KKK.
Your party…wrote Jim Crow.
You’re party…filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Your party…has a sitting governor (VA) who featured a picture of a Klansman in his yearbook.
Your party…opposes school choice, THE top civil rights issue today. https://t.co/vQe7RDH4Ev
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 29, 2021
Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked about these hesitant players by Hugh Hewitt, and he said, “Although I do respect people’s individual rights to make their decisions, there is also a part of it, Hugh, that is what I refer to as societal responsibility.”
