The NBA will require coronavirus vaccine boosters for some players to avoid additional testing, and Bradley Beal distances from support by Ted Cruz

Since the middle of last month, I made the conscious choice not to opine on the topic of Bradley Beal’s coronavirus status. I made that decision since we had a survey where most Washington Wizards fans were on his status, and what Monumental Sports & Entertainment and/or the D.C. government should do about it.

But if some substantial news happened around the topic, I still would have a piece on it. A couple news stories happened last weekend on coronavirus vaccines, so I’ll break my silence, but for this story alone.

First, the NBA will recommend booster shots for all players who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine at least two months ago, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Boosters will also be recommended for players who received the Moderna or Pfizer two-shot vaccine once six months have passed since the second shot. Players who previously received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over two months ago and who don’t get their boosters by Dec. 1, will have to do game day testing like unvaccinated players do. It is unclear whether a similar rule will be placed on players who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

The NBA can mandate boosters from other groups, like coaches, front office staff and other groups who interact with team personnel since it has mandated the vaccine from these groups previously. I am not surprised that the NBA is requiring boosters from basically any group that isn’t made of players.

The news of the booster recommendations also came around the same time when Ava Wallace of The Washington Post wrote a column on Beal being more comfortable about not having to be a “superhero” for the Wizards this season.

In the article, Wallace noted three things specifically regarding Beal’s coronavirus vaccine status. First, Beal remains unvaccinated against the coronavirus, where he is subject to daily testing at 8 a.m., though he otherwise feels like this season is normal. Second, Beal is considering getting the vaccine, in part because his children are now in preschool. Third, he also pushed back against some previous comments Texas Senator Ted Cruz made supporting Beal not being vaccinated. Here is the quote from Wallace’s article:

Don’t attach me to that. Because that’s not what I was trying to do. I’m not sitting here advocating for people not to get it. … I’ve never met you, I don’t talk to you, and I don’t support you or anything you do. That’s a little weird. That’s why I don’t like social media. Ted, you know damn well I ain’t rockin’ with you. You’re not going to get no cool points if that’s what you’re in it for.

Despite Beal distancing himself from Cruz, the Republican politician is still supportive of Beal’s individual decision NOT to be vaccinated, even if Beal supports the Democratic Party instead for other political issues. Here is what Cruz tweeted last Saturday.

Fair enough, I suppose. In the meantime, we will wait and see whether Beal receives the vaccine soon or not.