Speculation over the vaccination status of star Celtics players isn't going away. The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn reports an NBA source told him "at least two frontline players" are unvaccinated, putting their postseason status in jeopardy.
Questions about whether certain players are vaccinated surfaced last week when the Celtics traveled to Toronto with a curiously full injury report. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were supposedly nursing sore knees and Al Horford missed the contest for personal reasons. Unvaccinated visiting athletes are barred from playing in Canada, per the country's new Covid guidelines.
The Celtics could face the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto is making a push for the No. 5 seed, meaning the Celtics would have to stay in the top three to avoid the Raptors. Boston currently holds the No. 2 seed, but only by a half game.
Following the game in Toronto March 28, ESPN NBA Insiders Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported the Celtics declined to comment on the vaccination status of their players. Ime Udoka was somewhat ambiguous when he addressed the topic last week.
"Canada could change their rules, but we're looking at our guys available to play," he said. "All our guys, if healthy, are available to play."
That's not a surefire declaration that every player is vaccinated.
Horford used similar language when he spoke following last Wednesday's loss to the Heat, saying he'll be "ready to play wherever."
Brown refused to disclose whether he's vaccinated when asked Sunday, citing his role as vice president of the NBA Players' Association. "It's a part of my job description to protect our players' rights and our medical privacy so you won't hear me comment on my status or anybody else's. That's how I feel about it," he said.
Tatum previously said he's vaccinated, and has contracted Covid twice. The Celtics have less than two weeks to figure this out before it could fester into a season-altering problem.
