In the midst of a prolific playoff run in which he helped guide the Golden State Warriors to their fourth title in eight seasons, it was easy to forget All-Star Andrew Wiggins almost began the year without his shot.
His COVID shot.
At the beginning of the 2021-2022 season, a San Francisco health order required Warriors players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to be eligible to participate in home games at Chase Center. Wiggins said in September he preferred not to get vaccinated, telling reporters at a press conference the decision was “none of your business is what it comes down to.”
Wiggins ultimately chose to comply with the health order and get the vaccine, but even after the best season of his professional career and his first NBA title, the forward said he regrets the decision.
“I still wish I didn’t get (the vaccine) to be honest with you,” Wiggins told FanSided in an interview Monday. “But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
The sentiment echoes comments Wiggins made in March, after he was named an All-Star for the first time in his eight-year NBA career.
“I still wish I hadn’t gotten it,” Wiggins told the Bay Area News Group at the time. “Bigger picture, it all worked out for the best. I’m here on the most exciting team in the league. I’m an All-Star. So I feel like I made the right choice at the end of the day.”
An iconic poster dunk over Luka Dončić in the Western Conference Finals and a résumé-padding effort on both ends of the floor in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics weren’t enough to change Wiggins’ tune. In his interview with FanSided, Wiggins added he was happy he didn’t miss out on the triumphs of a career year, but was frustrated by having to make a choice he felt was out of his hands.
“I did it and I was an All-Star this year and a champion, so that was the good part. Just not missing out on the year, the best year of my career,” he said. “But for my body, I don’t like putting all of that stuff in my body so I didn’t like that and I didn’t like that it wasn’t my choice. I didn’t like that it was either get this or don’t play.”
Had Wiggins elected not to get the vaccine, he would not have been paid for any game missed this season. The 27-year-old earned $31.6 million this year and is set to make more than $33 million as he enters the last season of a five-year, $147 million extension he signed with the Timberwolves before the 2018 season.
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