Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard knows the importance of getting vaccinated, but he won't be going around to impose his beliefs on other players. In fact, he won't get mad at those who say they need to do their research first.
However, he highlighted protecting his family and kids as a major reason for him to get vaccinated. He also pointed out how he had to get vaccinated for various diseases when he was young, which he shared is the same this time around.
“I'm not mad at people who say they need to do their research. But I have a lot of people in my family that I spend time around. I'm just not going to put their lives in danger. As a kid, I had to get shots my whole life,” the Blazers guard said during Media Day on Monday, per Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report.
Damian Lillard's comments come amid a strong anti-vaccine push around the NBA. While 90 percent of the league has reportedly been vaccinated for COVID-19 already, there's a small group of players who remain against it.
Kyrie Irving is reportedly at the forefront of the controversy around the vaccine, while Andrew Wiggins has been refusing to get it for his religious beliefs. During Media Day, Bradley Beal also shared his sentiment on why he isn't getting vaccinated, noting that “nobody wants to talk about” people who had bad reactions to it.
As the Blazers superstar reminded, though, getting vaccinated is a way to help lessen the spread and the effect of the dreaded disease. While it's not a surefire way to totally stop the virus, it should at least help bring another layer of protection for their relatives and friends.
It remains to be seen how the NBA will deal with the anti-vaccine push, but as the 2021-22 season nears, it will certainly be a hot topic and subject of more debates.
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