CJ McCollum on attention to unvaccinated NBA players: I feel we were targeted

As training camps opened, there was a lot of attention on the small number of unvaccinated players. Did that annoy you? CJ McCollum: Yeah, it did. I feel like we were targeted. Obviously, people look up to us. We play a sport for a living. It’s …

As training camps opened, there was a lot of attention on the small number of unvaccinated players. Did that annoy you? CJ McCollum: Yeah, it did. I feel like we were targeted. Obviously, people look up to us. We play a sport for a living. It’s entertainment. People looked at us as the bar. In reality, we are kind of the bar: We got 98 percent of our league volunteered to be vaccinated, whereas the public was 55 percent or 60 percent at that point. No one was talking about corporate America going through the same problem, no one was talking about how there were health care workers going through the same issues. It was us in the spotlight, and I thought it was unfair because we were doing such a great job of educating our players.

Source: Tania Ganguli @ New York Times

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
I talked with CJ McCollum about starting as NBPA President during this challenging time. We talked a lot about Covid testing protocols and vaccines, plus the human side of being discussed in trade rumors. nytimes.com/2021/12/12/spo… – 5:44 PM
Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
Damian Lillard (abdomen) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. Anfernee Simons (ankle), Nassir Little (calf) and Ben McLemore (hip) no longer listed on injury report. CJ McCollum (lung) and Cody Zeller (patellar fracture) are out. #RipCity – 10:30 PM
Jamie Hudson @JamieHudson_
Blazers Injury Report:
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) is questionable; CJ McCollum (right lung pneumothorax) and Cody Zeller (right patellar fracture) are out for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. – 10:08 PM
Jay Allen @PDXjay
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) is listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against Minnesota.
CJ McCollum (right lung pneumothorax) and Cody Zeller (right patellar fracture) are out. #Blazers @RipCityRadio620 – 10:06 PM
Casey Holdahl @CHold
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) is questionable and CJ McCollum (right lung pneumothorax) and Cody Zeller (right patellar fracture) are out for Sunday’s game versus Minnesota – 10:05 PM
CJ McCollum @CJMcCollum
Really dope @PullUpPod with @DeMar DeRozan 🤝 appreciate you coming on and sharing so many gems !
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pul… – 10:39 PM
Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN
Who says no?
Philly gets: Kristaps Porzingis and CJ McCollum
Dallas gets: Kyrie Irving
Nets get: Danny Green, Jalen Brunson and Jusuf Nurkic
Portland gets: Ben Simmons – 7:36 PM
CJ McCollum @CJMcCollum
Life is precious handle with prayer 🙏🏽 – 1:00 PM

More on this storyline

Have you had to explain to others why the extra coronavirus testing is a good thing? [The league and union agreed to require additional testing, even for vaccinated players, after Thanksgiving, which has coincided with an uptick in positive tests.] CJ McCollum: I think when we explain to people the importance of knowing — there’s a lot of things that go under the radar in terms of being positive, but being asymptomatic. So I think testing around the holidays when people are flying or traveling, families are coming in from out of town, you’re gathering, you’re more exposed. It just makes sense and the only bad thing that can come from it is finding out that you are positive. But the good news is you’re finding out early and you can save and not expose some of your friends and family. -via New York Times / December 12, 2021
Scott Agness: Justin Holiday after being away from the team for 13 days: “I’m feeling good. Practice was OK. Obviously, I was just trying to get my wind back, get used to being on the court again.” Yes, he is unvaccinated. -via Twitter @ScottAgness / December 12, 2021