Steph, Iguodala respond to Wiggins' vaccination status originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The maturation of Klay Thompson, the return of Andre Iguodala and all things Steph Curry were just a few notable storylines from Warriors Media Day on Monday.
None compare to Andrew Wiggins being unvaccinated against COVID-19.
The Warriors' small forward constantly clinged to the "private matter" that he might not be able to play in half the games for his employer. If Wiggins is not fully vaccinated by Oct. 13, he will not be allowed inside Chase Center. That includes games and practices. According to the mandate issued by the City of San Francisco, fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed inside.
And the only way Wiggins can be fully vaccinated by that date is if he takes the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine by Wednesday.
On Monday, Curry was asked if Wiggins' stance is "acceptable" as a teammate?
"Acceptable is a strong word," Curry said. "It's not ideal. But I don't think anybody expected to be asked that question on something that's a voluntary decision, I guess, in a sense.
"We'll see. We hope not. We hope we have a full team for the entire year, and understand that ... on all accounts and what research says and things like that, that it's safe and we're all in the same boat. We hope that he's available, and if not, we adjust accordingly. But, we hope not."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The always intelligent Iguodala offered his perspective as well.
"Well, I think we all have to do our homework a little bit better," Iguodala said. "That's for all of us. I've been upset reading about Andrew Wiggins, because it's painting the wrong picture. And we're in a day and age now where perception can become reality, and the perception that's going on about him is hurting his value and ultimately can affect the wealth that he accumulates, which is totally unfair.
"When you do your homework the way it should be done, you totally understand there's people who have an excuse and then there's people who have actual values. And he's a guy who has values. He's a type of guy I'll stand by and he's a type of guy I'll risk being around the situation.
"Now, I'm vaccinated and I have an understanding about this and he has a different understanding, but his understanding is something that I truly respect and I have a value for how he sees life. He's a type of guy that I support the whole way and hopefully we can find a solution, and I think we will."
RELATED: Steph to Warriors front office: Do what it takes to win
Wiggins attempted to receive an exemption based on religious beliefs, but the NBA denied that request.
The simple fact is, Wiggins could lose millions of dollars and the Warriors could lose games and revenue if one of their key players opts out of being vaccinated. There's no two ways around it. As Wiggins said, his back is against the wall.
We'll see how he responds next.
