The New Orleans Pelicans allowed eligible players to receive their first dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday. The organization partnered with a local hospital and consulted with team doctors in order to successfully roll this out.

Via Andrew Lopez of ESPN:

“The Pelicans support the state's vital efforts to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as large-scale vaccination of our community is the best way to keep everyone safe and to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” the team said in a statement Sunday.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards recently expanded the eligibility for the vaccine, ultimately allowing individuals ages 16 and above with a health condition that could get worse by way of the virus to get the vaccine.

One of the criteria for eligibility is being overweight, which is deemed as someone who has a body mass index greater than 25%. Many NBA players still go beyond that number despite being professional players and being physically fit.

In addition, individuals who are diagnosed with conditions like asthma, hypertension, and Type 1 diabetes are also advised to get themselves vaccinated already.

Pelicans swingman Sindarius Thornwell revealed Friday night that he would be getting a vaccine:

Ultimately, the NBA is encouraging everyone in the league to get vaccinated when deemed eligible in order to mitigate the widespread of the COVID-19 virus:

“League policy requires teams to follow their state's vaccination guidelines and programs and we are fully supportive of players and team staff being vaccinated when they are eligible,” an NBA spokesperson said in a statement.

The NBA won't force players to get the vaccine, though, and not every Pelicans player eligible for it got one. Many players, including LeBron James, believe it's a private matter.