Stockton said he’s conscious of his image, especially around his hometown , where he’s resided since a 19-year Hall of Fame career with the Jazz ended in 2003. The 59-year-old said he is also aware of how his widely circulated opinions may be received by fans who have accepted the evidence regarding the efficacy of vaccines and the effectiveness of mask wearing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m very concerned about my image,” Stockton said. “I understand I’m a public figure and they show me at every game, so they understand it as well. I take that responsibility very seriously, both when I’m around campus and when I’m not. It’s a lifestyle, so of course I do.”
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On any night, John Stockton’s name and No. 12 jersey can be seen hanging from a banner in the south-facing rafters at McCarthey Athletic Center. But Gonzaga and its most prominent alumnus are at odds over the school’s mask mandate, leading Gonzaga to suspend Stockton’s season tickets at home basketball games. In an interview with The Spokesman-Review on Saturday at The Warehouse – the Spokane-based gym Stockton has owned since 2002 – the NBA’s all-time assists and steals leader, and one of only two players who’s had his number retired by Gonzaga, confirmed the university’s decision to suspend his season tickets for failing to comply with the mask mandate.
During the interview, Stockton asserted that more than 100 professional athletes have died of vaccination. He also said tens of thousands of people – perhaps millions – have died from vaccines. “I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton said in the interview. Such claims are dubious and not backed by science, nor are they deemed credible by medical professionals, according to FactCheck.org, a project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center, and research reported by PolitiFact, which is run by the Poynter Institute.
Tim MacMahon: Backup center Hassan Whiteside has cleared health and safety protocols and is questionable due to conditioning. All-NBA big man Rudy Gobert (left ankle soreness) is also questionable.
Omari Sanfoka II: Kelly Olynyk has entered health and safety protocols, joining Jerami Grant
TJ McBride: Jeff Green (left quad contusion) is now on the injury report and is questionable. JaMychal Green (H&S protocols) has been upgraded to questionable. Murray, Porter and Cancar are all out.
James Ham: The Kings have no one listed on the injury report. Tyrese Haliburton has cleared health and safety protocols and is likely back in the starting lineup today after a two game absence.
Marc J. Spears: Magic say Head Coach Jamahl Mosley and Assistant Coach Nate Tibbetts have both cleared NBA Health and Safety Protocols. Both will be back on the bench for tonight’s game against the L.A. Lakers.
Andy Larsen: Masks are no longer required at Vivint Arena after the state legislature overturned Salt Lake County’s mask mandate today. Vaccination or negative test still required.
Tyrese Haliburton: Tyrese Haliburton has cleared health and safety protocols, sources tell me.
Law Murray: Clippers list both Nicolas Batum (health and safety protocols) and Marcus Morris Sr. (Personal) as questionable for tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Both missed last night's loss in Denver. Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Jason Preston out with recovery. Johnson/Scrubb in the G
Marc J. Spears: G League Ignite says NBA Veteran CJ Miles has rejoined the team. Also, head coach Jason Hart and players Amauri Hardy and Scoot Henderson have entered Health & Safety Protocols. Assistant coach CJ Williams will serve as the team’s interim head coach during Hart’s absence.
Ryan Blackburn: JaMychal Green remains OUT for tomorrow's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. He's still in health and safety protocols. No one else is on the injury report other than Murray, Porter, and Vlatko. Bryn Forbes is also listed on the official roster. Perhaps he makes his debut???
Anthony Chiang: Tyler Herro (protocols) and Kyle Lowry (personal reasons) out for Heat tomorrow vs. Hawks. Markieff Morris, KZ Okpala and Victor Oladipo also remain out for the Heat,
Andrew Greif: Nico Batum has entered the health and safety protocols.
Andrew Greif: Luke Kennard has been updated to questionable for tomorrow vs. Denver, the team says. He hasn’t played since Dec. 31. He shot 48% from 3 in Dec. and Clippers need his shooting on this 8-game road trip.
The Grizzlies have announced that starting shooting guard Desmond Bane and reserve forward Kyle Anderson have been added to the team’s inactive list due to “health and safety protocols” — the NBA’s term for COVID management. The pair will miss Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, and likely more.
Ryan Blackburn: Via Nuggets injury report, JaMychal Green is still OUT due to health and safety protocols. Austin Rivers is off the injury report and should be available tomorrow. So is Markus Howard, who was recalled from his G League assignment. Gonna be a fun roster for tomorrow IMO.
Kyle Goon: The Lakers say two-way contract player Sekou Doumbouya has entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols. He’s been with the South Bay Lakers.
Brian Robb: Celtics have upgraded Marcus Smart to questionable for tomorrow's game against the Hornets. Aaron Nesmith (ankle) also is questionable
Rylan Stiles: Mark Daigneault said Kenrich Williams is “close” as far as the health and safety protocols hurdle. Says everyone practiced today.
Eric Walden: Elijah Hughes is AVAILABLE for the Jazz tonight. Hassan Whiteside and Jared Butler remain OUT.
Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley expressed disappointment over the timing of his entrance into the health and safety protocols on Monday -- his first Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an NBA head coach. The Magic are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers, and two of the NBA's five Black head coaches who are in their first season -- Mosley and Chauncey Billups -- expected to be on the sidelines in Orlando on Monday night.
"This is such a big day -- with meaning behind myself and so many others having this opportunity because of what Dr. King fought for," Mosley told ESPN on Monday. "Our locker rooms are represented by his dream. His words, example of leadership, fight for equality and strength are just as important now as they were then."
Chase Hughes: Bradley Beal will return against the Sixers today, the Wizards announced.
Ky Carlin: Wizards acting coach Joseph Blair says Bradley Beal is a game time decision today. He has cleared the protocols, but the team’s medical staff needs to make sure that he is ready to go.
Paul Garcia: Zach Collins has been sent to the G-League on assignment, a sign he’s close to returning Tre Jones out vs PHX (H&S protocols) Wieskamp, Cacok with Austin
Keith Smith: Marcus Smart remains OUT for tomorrow afternoon's game vs New Orleans. Smart is the only Celtics player on the injury report.
KC Johnson: Alex Caruso is out of protocols but also listed as out vs. Grizzlies for “return to competition reconditioning.” This is the ramp-up period to which Billy Donovan has been referring. Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball also out, as are Javonte Green, Tyler Cook and Derrick Jones Jr.
Brad Townsend: Porzingis will return tonight, Harrison confirms.
Paul Garcia: "Derrick is available for the first time." - Coach Pop on Derrick White. Poeltl is a game time decision per Pop
Dane Moore: Jordan McLaughlin has entered COVID protocols, the team says. In response, the Timberwolves have elevated McKinley Wright from the G League.
James Edwards III: Frank Jackson is OUT tomorrow against Phoenix as he works his way back from COVID. Rodney McGruder is back with the team but is OUT tomorrow, too.
A significant proportion of people infected with the omicron variant of coronavirus were still contagious when they reach the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s recommended self-isolation exit date of five days, according to a Harvard University study of a small number of cases from the National Basketball Association’s Covid-19 testing program.
Researchers found that among the 70 identified omicron cases detected two or more days after a negative or inconclusive test result, 39% were still infectious after five days, declining to 33% on day six and 22% on day seven. The paper used data from 10,324 PCR tests conducted among NBA players and employees between July 10, 2021, and January 10, 2022.
Shams Charania: Denver Nuggets forward JaMychal Green has entered health and safety protocols, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Marc Stein: The Mavericks are hopeful Jason Kidd can return to the bench Saturday to resume coaching against Orlando, sources say. Dallas is 3-1 with Kidd in NBA protocols under acting coach Sean Sweeney, ending win streaks for Chicago (9) and Memphis (11). More: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq
Jeff McDonald: Doug McDermott is available for the first time in 2022 after a 13-day stay in health and safety protocols, Pop says. Pop was unsure if McDermott would immediately return to his starting role tonight vs Cavs
Rob Schaefer: Billy Donovan says Alex Caruso still hasn’t cleared protocols and won’t travel on Bulls’ upcoming two-game trip to Boston and Memphis
Rod Boone: Kai Jones has cleared health and safety protocols and is available for tonight's game against Orlando.
Neil Dalal: Bradley Beal (protocols) remains OUT vs. Blazers Davis Bertans (left mid foot sprain) is questionable
Ben Anderson: Rudy Gobert said he was relatively asymptomatic. Mostly cold symptoms, no cough, just wanted to stay in bed and said he was feeling good when he got his positive PCR test.
Shams Charania: Sources: The NBA has informed teams that daily surveillance COVID-19 testing for players, coaches and Tier 1 personnel will not extend beyond Saturday. Individuals will remain subject to testing if symptomatic, exposed or enhanced directive by league office.
KC Johnson: As expected, Bulls officially list Alex Caruso out vs. Warriors. He remains in protocols. Derrick Jones Jr. also obviously out with knee injury.
Duane Rankin: Chris Paul isn't listed on Suns injury report. Paul wasn't at Thursday's practice as he received additional COVID-19 testing. Cam Johnson (ankle) questionable. Ish Wainright (return to competition reconditioning) questionable. #Suns
Chris Haynes: Minnesota Timberwolves say beginning Jan. 16 fans will be required to wear face covering inside Target Center. And effective Jan. 30 fans will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative test administered by health professional within 72 hours of the game.
Adrian Wojnarowski: To be clear on the hypothetical ability for a team to pay a fine for an unvaccinated player to play in a marketplace that local ordinances forbid: NBA memo to organizations on September 1 says that teams must follow local laws and players who don't comply won't be able to play.
The Brooklyn Nets guard was asked about the matter by the reporters and gave his very clear view of the situation, explaining that rules should apply to everyone. "Yeah, I believe so. I won an Olympic medal and quarantined in a hotel for two weeks", Mills said.
Eric Walden: Norvel Pelle is OUT. Joe Ingles is AVAILABLE.
Ryan Miller: Hassan Whiteside has entered health and safety protocols.
Mike Singer: Will Barton will be out tonight due to health and safety protocols, I’m told.
Omari Sanfoka II: Dwane Casey said he had a positive test Sunday morning, which surprised him because he had no symptoms. He tested negative again Sunday afternoon and yesterday. "Luckily I was vaccinated, boosted and hopefully that took effect. Unfortunate situation."
Tony Jones: Rudy Gobert and Rudy Gay are both out tomorrow night in health and safety protocols. Jared Butler, Udoka Azubuike and Malik Fitts and Elijah Hughes are also out Joe Ingles is questionable
Rob Schaefer: Alex Caruso’s cycling numbers are moving in right direction, but he still hasn’t cleared protocols, per Billy Donovan. Once Caruso is cleared, team will gauge how much conditioning ramp-up he needs. Caruso only had mild symptoms, but Bulls entering a 4-game-in-5-nights stretch
Scott Agness: Caris LeVert and Goga Bitadze have exited health and safety protocols. They are listed as questionable for Wednesday vs Celtics. Chris Duarte (personal reasons) is also questionable.
Noah Levick: Injury report for Sixers-Hornets: -Seth Curry questionable with left ankle soreness, Tobias Harris probable with right shoulder pain -Shake Milton still out with a back contusion -Tyrese Maxey not listed
Quinton Mayo: Bradley Beal entered the health and safety protocol due to an inconclusive test, sources tell me.
Neil Dalal: Bradley Beal will need two consecutive negative tests in a 24 hour span to exit health and safety protocols, per Wes Unseld Jr. In theory that means he will be out again tomorrow vs. Magic at a minimum
Paul Garcia: Thaddeus Young is out of H&S protocols. Landale is probable to play tomorrow per Spurs. White, Jones, Keldon, Vassell, and Doug are in H&S protocols. Collins out due to injury
Dave McMenamin: Russell Westbrook missed Tuesday’s practice because of minor cold-like symptoms, according to a Lakers spokesman. Westbrook tested negative for COVID-19 and will meet the team at the airport for their flight to Sacramento.
Kyle Goon: David Fizdale and Mike Penberthy have missed a few games in the COVID-19 protocols; Frank Vogel says both were cleared and in practice today.
Shams Charania: Wizards‘ Bradley Beal has re-entered health and safety protocols and is listed out vs. Thunder tonight.
Josh Robbins: In their updated injury report, the Wizards have listed Bradley Beal as in the NBA's health-and-safety protocols and out for tonight's game against the Thunder. Beal missed 3 games from Dec. 23-28 in the protocols; when he returned, he said the absence was due to contact tracing.
Harrison Wind: Nuggets have upgraded Will Barton (health and safety protocols) to questionable tonight against the Clippers.
