LeBron James explains why he got COVID vax

Heading into the season, LeBron James' Lakers are 100% vaccinated. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Lakers' LeBron James explains why he got vaccinated against COVID-19

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Sep 28, 2021 4:52 PM ET

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said last week that all of the club's players should be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time the regular season opens next month. It's now known that includes superstar and four-time NBA champion LeBron James.

James told reporters Tuesday that he was initially skeptical about getting one of the safe and available vaccines but later did so because he thought it was the right thing for himself, his family, his friends and teammates:

"You're always trying to figure out ways that you can just be available and protect one another and put yourself in the best possible chance where you are available to your teammates, available to what we need to do on the floor," James said during the media day session, according to McMenamin.

"The ultimate goal is to obviously win a championship. And it starts with, obviously, health as the No. 1 thing. We're excited to know that we've given ourselves another opportunity to be available to each other, and that's what it came down to."

The topic of handfuls of NBA players reportedly refusing to get vaccinated has become controversial this month, particularly as it pertains to the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors. Laws in New York and San Francisco mandate players for those clubs must be vaccinated to enter home arenas for games unless they receive an approved medical or religious exemption, and it's known Brooklyn and Golden State both have unvaccinated personnel who couldn't play in home contests if the season started today.

Knicks general manager Scott Perry said last Friday all of that team's players are vaccinated.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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