Warriors' Andrew Wiggins Received COVID-19 Vaccine Ahead of Regular Season, per Kerr

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters Sunday that forward Andrew Wiggins has been vaccinated and will be eligible to play the team's home games this season. 

The city of San Francisco has a vaccine mandate for attendees of large indoor events with 1,000 or more people. Had Wiggins remained unvaccinated, he would have been ineligible to play in home games at Chase Center. 

He would have been eligible for road games, however, as the NBPA did not agree to a vaccine mandate with the league, which would have required collective bargaining.

But local laws take precedence. It's only a potential issue at the moment for the Warriors, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, as New York City also has a vaccine mandate in place that affects professional athletes. 

It remains to be seen what that will mean for Kyrie Irving, who ostensibly isn't vaccinated, given that he wasn't physically present for the team's media day in Brooklyn this past week. 

"I know that I'll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team and be there for my growing tribe off the court," Irving told reporters on a Zoom call during media day, requesting privacy when asked about his vaccination status. "I know the focus has to be at an all-time high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this. I'm doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart."

Wiggins was also asked about his vaccination status during the team's media day and wasn't interested in elaborating on his hesitation to receive the vaccine, telling reporters it was a  "private" and "personal" choice.

"I'm confident in my beliefs, what I think is right and what I think is wrong," he added. 

And when asked what those beliefs were, he replied, "It's none of your business."

Ultimately, Wiggins' choice to receive the vaccine means he won't be forced to miss half the season. That would have also meant losing half his game checks for the year.

"Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses," NBA Chief Communications Officer and Executive Vice President Michael Bass said in a statement Wednesday.