The Toronto Raptors are returning to their home city this season after spending last season playing in Florida. That’s not such great news for unvaccinated players.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that NBA players were informed about the harsh penalties unvaccinated players will face in Canada if they do not follow stringent rules.
Canada has travel rules for unvaccinated people that outline guidelines, regulations and punishments. Unvaccinated players are allowed to leave the team hotel only to go to team activities. If they are caught leaving the hotel for other reasons, they could face up to six months in prison and/or $750K in fines.
You can read the entire Canadian policy here.
The subject of player vaccinations has been a big one since players began reporting to camps. The NBPA will not allow the league to impose a player vaccination mandate. However, the NBA and/or local regulations can make the consequences for not getting vaccinated so severe that they can effectively force players to choose between their playing careers and the vaccine. That was the case for Andrew Wiggins, who felt extremely pressured to get the vaccine.
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