Nevius: Anti-vaccine players just don’t get it

People are saying Andrew Wiggins isn’t a role model.

I disagree.

He’s the perfect role model for a self-righteous, misinformed group of nitwits who have somehow convinced themselves they are taking a moral stand by refusing to accept a free, lifesaving vaccine.

The Golden State Warriors player was unconvincing in trying explain why he was so dead set against the shot. He’s “hearing” there have been complications. And maybe, he suggests, there might be some damage to his genes. Or cancer. Maybe something might crop up in 10 years or so.

None of which is supported by either the army of doctors and scientists working on this, or by the fact that hundreds of millions of doses have been administered virtually without any problems.

You know the Warriors’ front office had to be face-palming as Wiggins complained about being forced to take the dose.

Clearly their plan was to get Wiggins to take the shot and then move on. Steve Kerr announced his holdout player had been vaccinated and shut down any follow-up.

“Andrew is vaccinated,” he announced, “and that will be the end of it. I’m not going to take any more questions.”

Not so fast, coach.

Ever open with the public, the Warriors set up a press conference for Wiggins. They couldn’t have imagined he was going to spend it whining and complaining like a third-grader forced to eat his spinach.

“I guess,” he lamented, “you don’t own your body.”

Well, first, it isn’t all about you. San Francisco wants you to get the shot to make all of us safe. And second, how many medications and vaccines have you taken in your life? Hundreds? Thousands?

But you’ve got a feeling about this one?

Wiggins’ presser went national, and not in a good way. As someone said on Twitter as Wiggins dug himself in deeper and deeper, “You know the Warriors PR staff is hoping for a fire alarm right about now.”

Wiggins represents that new phenomenon — people who steadfastly believe crackpot, clearly disproved theories. And who won’t listen to anyone who challenges them.

You can’t get Wiggins to tell you where he’s hearing this stuff. Or to debate you on the facts.

Because if you ask, you are invading his privacy. It’s that private place where no one questions if he knows what he is talking about.

Maybe the low point of the whole stream-of-cluelessness was when Wiggins cast himself as cheerleader for those delusional souls who are refusing lifesaving treatment because they don’t like being told what to do.

“Hopefully,” Wiggins said, “there’s a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully it works out for them.”

Seriously?

I don’t suppose he’d allow it, but somebody ought to show him some maps and charts. The country has lost over 700,000 people to COVID. The latest deaths are virtually all of unvaccinated individuals.

And you are encouraging them to “keep fighting,” not get the shot and put themselves and others at risk of a deadly virus.

That’s not inspirational. It’s inexcusable.

The one positive is that at least Wiggins is not Kyrie Irving, who is missing practice — and probably games — because he has some vague objections to the vaccine.

So far the league has supported the city of New York, which, like San Francisco, has a vaccine mandate. And we can only hope they don’t cave in and let Irving play.

You want free will? You have it. You chose not to meet the conditions of the city and team, although virtually everyone else has. (The NBA is 95% vaccinated.) Therefore you can’t participate. Your choice.

And just to make the point one more time. Wiggins can do what he wants. And he can say what he wants.

What he can’t do is pretend he is standing for some big, important principle that guides his life. Irving, at least, is standing on principle, misguided though it is.

Wiggins got the shot for the money. He says so himself.

“The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA,” he said.

Because if he remained unvaccinated, he couldn’t play in home games at Chase Center nor in New York. And some $15 million of his yearly pay would be forfeited.

So, he got the shot.

Which answers the question: what would it take for Wiggins to violate deeply held, life-affirming beliefs?

Answer: $15 million.

Contact C.W. Nevius at cw.nevius@pressdemocrat.com. Twitter: @cwnevius