LeBron James is the latest celebrity to show signs of reluctance regarding whether he’ll take the COVID-19 vaccine. During a recent media appearance, the Los Angeles ballplayer refused to reveal his definitive plans on receiving the shot.
When asked this past weekend, following the 2021 NBA All-Star game, about whether he’d take the COVID-19 injection, James answered, “That’s a conversation that my family and I will have. Pretty much keep that to a private thing.” He added, “Obviously, I saw Adam had his comments about the vaccination, but things like that, when you decide to do something, that’s a conversation between you and your family and not for everybody. I’ll keep it that way.” James did, however, cite ‘luck’ as the reason behind why he hasn’t contracted the deadly disease that so many of his other peers have, including Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who at one point tested positive for the illness.
James’ remarks come on the heels of a decision made by the league alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver that would not require athletes to be vaccinated in order to play out the rest of the 2020-21 season. During a press conference on Saturday, March 6, Silver expressed to ESPN, “My hunch is that most players ultimately will choose to get vaccinated.” He added, “They have to make personal decisions at the end of the day—and I take that very seriously, and I take concerns very seriously. But my sense is most [players] will, ultimately, decide it is in their interest to get vaccinated.”
Still, this isn’t the first time James has been approached with inquiries regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. In December 2020, James was challenged by former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams to take the vaccine, despite not meeting the requirements for eligibility at the time.
“LeBron James, I know you’ve been a big supporter of masks. I want to know when you’re going to take the shot. Not the basketball shot, but the COVID shot,” Adams said. “Because I did it because I know it’s safe, and we want to make sure people understand this is how we end the pandemic.”
Adams’ comment caused a bit of disruption on social media from those pointing out that James had infamously and often been told to “shut and dribble” or “stick to sports.” Some noted that others have leaned in on James’ influence and have often tried to benefit from it when it comes to pushing whatever plan they have to fulfill at the moment.
