Delvon Adams talks about professional athletes and the controversial decision not to get the COVID vaccine
Controversial NBA player Kyrie Irvin has been adamant about not getting vaccinated and it has caused him to get sidelined in his career as a professional basketball player with the NBA. He has made many millions of dollars, so it won’t affect his lifestyle financially, but he also lost many endorsements.
The big concern, however, is how his decision might cause the many fans who follow him to also decide not to get inoculated. Because he’s a leader and superstar in the NBA, media outlets say that he should be a role model, lead by example, and not turn the minds of those who are already on the fence about getting vaccinated. Some athletes at The Q share Irvin’s sentiments and are not getting vaccinated. Delvon Adams, 32, SQ Warriors’ basketball power forward and quarterback of the Silver Backs intramural football team, is also not vaccinated. He shares his perspective on the subject.
TH: Since you are a sports star at The Q and you yourself are not vaccinated, what are your thoughts on the Kyrie Irvin situation?
DA: When I first heard about it, I understood what he was saying because I didn’t take it myself. I agree with him.
TH: What did you understand about his decision, and why didn’t you take the shot?
DA: When they first brought out them shots, I thought about the past experiences, like the Tuskegee experience. And I compared the medicine then to what we have now, and I thought about the government conspiracy.
TH: I can understand your distrust of the government and I’m pretty sure that many other Black Americans share your point of view and Kyrie’s concern. But the medicine these days, mixed with the science, is much more sophisticated than it was back in those old eras. But being that Kyrie Irvin is a superstar with many followers, how would you have handled it if you were in his shoes?
DA: I would of took the shot if I was papered up like him and had followers like he got.
TH: So, are you saying that it’s about the money to you? If somebody would have paid you to get vaccinated, you would have?
DA: When I think about it, I would say no. Because it’s bigger than the money. But if I was in his shoes and already had a lot of money, I would have.
TH: Yeah, ABC News did a survey and it concluded that 94% did not support Irvin’s decision, only 5% did, and 1% were unsure. That sentiment of “being vaccinated could stop the virus” is more believable than not. Moreover, he did not only let down his fans, he also let down his teammates. What do you say to that?
DA: The word sportsmanship is sports discipline. It means unity. It’s how you get on one accord with each other. Now, because of that, his team might not make it to the Championship because he’s not here to contribute. But, if they do, he going to be left behind. And being left behind don’t feel good. I don’t know how he feel, but for me, I wouldn’t feel good about it. I wouldn’t feel good about not being able to play sports.
TH: That’s a good point right there. When you play basketball, how does it make you feel?
DA: When I play basketball, it helps me get my problems solved; it’s my outlet. Playing sports, period, helps relieve me of the stress of being in prison.
TH: Let me ask you this last question. If Kyrie Irvin would have gotten vaccinated, would you have also?
DA: Although I’m a fan of his and I believe in him standing up for his belief, I don’t see me getting the shot just because he did. A lot come with that. I still don’t trust the doctors yet, and that the vaccine really works. Because every time you look at the news, you see that a new variant have come and it penetrates the vaccines. So it seems useless to me.
