By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE NBA 2021-2022 regular season starts on October 19 and some of the league’s teams are encountering domestic hitches due to the refusal of some of their respective cagers to be inoculated, mainly because of their religious beliefs and constitutional rights.

The first of the four to be very vocal was the Golden State Warriors reliable point-maker and 2014 Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins. It was followed by Brooklyn Nets point-guard Kyrie Irving, then Washington Wizards swingman Bradley Beal and Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac. They are the first four of estimated 50 or 60 NBA players reportedly hesitant to get the jab citing their creed, constitutional right, feeling no symptoms at all of the world’s unseen enemy COVID-19, saying that they are so healthy, like the way they used to be before the pandemic and until today.

But the dilemma is not coming from the NBA alone but the player’s own city’s guidelines where they respectively belong that prevent them from playing home games this season and even prohibiting them from practicing in their own home court until they’re vaccinated with a clarification: players who declined to be vaccinated in their respective cities can still play in other city games without local host’s protocols.

Take the case of the Canadian-born six-foot-seven Wiggins who cites his constitutional right instead of his religious belief, is adamant not to be inoculated for obvious reason. In fact, he deliberately skipped the media day because of New York’s new COVID-19 protocols for being unvaccinated. “I’m doing my best to maintain this decision with good intentions and a good heart,” he said.

When Washington’s Beal spoke at Wizards media day last Tuesday (PH time), he cited “personal reasons” for not getting vaccinated against the invisible virulent disease, Orlando’s Isaac tweeted, “I believe it is your God-given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you!

Yes, that’s how strong democracy is in the United States of America. I lived there for almost 17 years including Uncle Sam’s protectorate islands of Guam and ‘freedom of choice’ is so firmed for the Americans toughly believing as one of the essences of democracy.

I still recall Wiggins’ father, the former NBA cager Mitchell once played in PBA in 1994 for La Tondeña 65 during the Commissioner’s Cup. He debuted with an amazing 62 points performance when he teamed up with PBA superstars Robert Jaworski, Joey Loyzaga, Pido Jarencio and Noli Locsin, to name some. But despite that sensational show of play by the aging Wiggins, Tondeña 65 still lost the match, 106-108 to Swift Hotdogs, and failed to advance for the playoffs on a 5-6 mark.

Irving and Wiggins averaged 25 and 18.6 points per game, respectively, in the NBA games last season. And yes, without them, I believe the drop-in attendance among ardent basketball spectators in the host city will surely happen. But I guess despite the refusal of these some NBA players to be vaccinated, the 2021-2022 season will still push through even if the league’s dilemma will not be solved amicably. NBA is NBA, with or without the superstars the show must go on. Let’s just wait and see.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If you have known Me, you would have known MY Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? JOHN 14: 7-9

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