NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested that NBA players receive the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines first as a PSA for Black people.
In a Zoom interview with Sportico, Silver said Black people are 3 times more likely to die from Covid, and “somewhat perversely, there’s been enormous resistance in the African American community” to getting vaccinated ‘for understandable historical reasons.”
Adams said he spoke with the people who ran the trials at Pfizer and Moderna who told him the Black community declined to volunteer during the 6-month testing phase.
“If that resistance continues, based on the earlier data I cited, there’ll be very much a double whammy to the Black community because the only way, ultimately, out of this pandemic is to get vaccinated.”
Adams suggested NBA players should get preferential treatment and be allowed to jump the line because they have “great influence” among young Black people who may be more willing to roll up their sleeves after they see NBA players getting vaccines.
The reaction was overwhelmingly negative on Twitter.com. One user wrote: “Is it racist to think black folks will take the vaccine because a basketball player take it?”
User @ZuluX11 tweeted: “This is becoming disturbing. When have you ever cared about the Black Community? Why are trying so desperately to force the vaccine on us? Why isnt he mentioning his personal community? Force it on them. I hope people wake up eventually.”
And a third user wrote: “Imagine if Trump chose a bunch of white people to give it to to spread the word so the white community trusts the vaccine…..lol double standard much? Is this how the next 4yrs gon be? 4 yrs of #DoAsISayNotAsIDoDems its gon be rough [sic].”
Should #NBA players be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine? @NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks about it in our #SporticoLive:
Are you watching? Sign up here: https://t.co/sym2ZvgePM pic.twitter.com/L6ERRleo9Z
— Sportico (@Sportico) January 19, 2021
