Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't too comfortable in getting the COVID-19 vaccine shot. Fortunately, his teammate Lu Dort was there to offer a helping hand quite literally.
The vaccine is now available to everyone in Oklahoma City aged 16 years and above. With this, the Thunder have made steps to inoculate their players. Understandably, not everyone is comfortable around needles like Gilgeous-Alexander.
Good thing that Dort stood right beside his friend and Thunder teammate to alleviate some of the fear.
Find yourself a friend like Lu Dort. Helping out SGA while he gets the COVID vaccine 🙏
(via @okcthunder) pic.twitter.com/BJ5fhE1qeL
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 31, 2021
Things are slowly getting back to normal in the NBA. Aside from the Thunder, other teams have been inoculating their players together with the city. Soon, fans will probably be allowed back into the arena.
Another step in the right direction.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available to 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 16 years and older in OK, and today @OUHealth began distribution to our team!
Keep yourself and your team safe.
Info and appts 🔗 | https://t.co/iwslKzCxiU pic.twitter.com/aEqK1HSMfs— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 30, 2021




The NBA does not require all of its players, staff, and personnel to get vaccinated. However, league commissioner Adam Silver believes that a good amount will opt to get the vaccine.
“My hunch is that most players ultimately will choose to get vaccinated. They have to make personal decisions at the end of the day — and I take that very seriously, and I take concerns very seriously. But my sense is most [players] will, ultimately, decide it is in their interest to get vaccinated,” Silver said during his All-Star Weekend virtual news conference from Atlanta, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The league also announced added benefits for teams who have been vaccinated. The changes in the health and safety protocols, as summarized below, will apply to any person who is “two weeks past their final dose and any team where 85 percent of players and 85 percent of staff are fully vaccinated.
Thankfully, the Thunder will be able to benefit from the changes in the health and safety protocols after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. got their vaccine shots.
Here’s the infographic distributed to NBA teams that details the eased restrictions for vaccinated individuals and vaccinated teams: https://t.co/uSuMVkP4cR pic.twitter.com/7uOY4ugjUg
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) March 18, 2021