Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been one of several players in the NBA to refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine despite the league's heavy push prior to the 2021-22 season. Wiggins has been vocal about his hesitency, despite the possibility that he won't be permitted to play home games due to San Francisco's vaccine mandate should he continue to refuse the shot. A recent report from The Athletic's Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater revealed that amid this drama, Wiggins missed Saturday's practice, and the excuse from Head Coach Steve kerr is quite perplexing.
Andrew Wiggins wasn’t at Warriors practice today. Kerr: “Under the weather.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 2, 2021
“Under the weather” can mean many things in this strange new world we're all navigating, particularly in the context of Wiggins' situation. The obvious connection that anyone would make amid the pandemic would be that Wiggins contracted COVID-19 and was too sick to make it to practice. If that is indeed the case, we of course wish Wiggins well and a speedy recovery. However, he could also be under the weather as a result of receiving the vaccine. Despite expressing that he does not wish to get the jab, money is a powerful incentive, and he would be forgoing his salary for any games missed due to the San Francisco mandate.
Wiggins could also have a stomach bug, a common cold, or just be taking a mental health day. However, it is odd that Kerr didn't specify the illness if it indeed wasn't COVID-related, as he would've avoided a media storm of speculation. Kerr is respecting Wiggins' privacy, of course. It'll be interesting to see the length of Wiggins' absence and what becomes of this situation as the regular season approaches.
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