Report: Celtics, 76ers decline to say if they are fully vaccinated ahead of playoffs
Neither the Boston Celtics nor the Philadelphia 76ers would confirm directly if their team is fully vaccinated this week ahead of the playoffs — where any unvaccinated player won’t be able to play against the Raptors in Toronto, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Bontemps reached out to the top four teams in the Eastern Conference this week to ask about their vaccination status. Canada requires that all visitors, including NBA players, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter the country.
The Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the top two spots in the Eastern Conference as of Wednesday afternoon, told ESPN that they are fully vaccinated. The Celtics and the 76ers declined to comment.
While that doesn’t mean either team has unvaccinated players, it opens up the possibility of them not having a full roster should they play in Toronto this postseason. If a team is fully vaccinated, that question is theoretically an easy one to answer.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka did say earlier this week that “if healthy, they can all play” in Toronto, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith. That, though, doesn’t necessarily mean they are fully vaccinated.
Celtics big man Al Horford addressed the report after their 106-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
"We're clear on that and I'll be ready to play wherever," he said, via the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
The Celtics played in Toronto on Monday for the first time since the country’s vaccine rule was implemented, though they were without Robert Williams, Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown due to injuries or personal reasons. The 76ers are set to play their first game in Toronto since the rules changed on April 7.
The Raptors are currently in sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, and could open the playoffs with a series against any of the top four teams — who are all within 1.5 games of each other. The Raptors are one full game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are currently set to play in the play-in tournament, and just a half-game behind the Chicago Bulls in fifth.
