Andrew Wiggins’ refusal to get COVID-19 vaccine turning into big issue for Warriors

Andrew Wiggins has opted not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and that could have huge implications on his career with the Warriors.

The NBA has decided not to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for players, but players will have to adhere to the city and state guidelines of their team’s respective markets.

For Andrew Wiggins, who has decided not to get vaccinated, this is developing into an issue for him and the Golden State Warriors as the NBA season approaches, reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The city of San Francisco, where the Warriors play, requires full vaccination to enter indoor venues like bars, restaurants, clubs, gyms and large indoor events. Warriors home games at Chase Center fall under the category of large indoor events.

If Andrew Wiggins remains unvaccinated, he will not be allowed to play in Warriors’ home games. That is half the season, a total of 41 games. In addition, New York has a similar policy, which means Wiggins won’t be allowed to play in the Golden State’s away games against the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks.

The only way Wiggins will be allowed to take to the court in these two cities is if he is granted a religious or medical exemption, which hasn’t happened yet. If he is never given an exemption and remains unvaccinated, he will give up roughly $350,000 per game.

Andrew Wiggins future with the Warriors is in doubt

Wiggins, entering his eighth season as a professional was a part of the Warriors’ plan moving forward to help the team get back into the playoffs and compete for more championships. With Klay Thompson and James Wiseman returning, Wiggins who averaged 18.6 last season, would be a big contributor on a talented roster. With him possibly being unable to play in over half the season, it’ll be interesting to watch how the Warriors move forward with Wiggins.