Getty Images Devin Booker and Chris Paul of the Suns talk on the court
Phoenix Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and is ruled out indefinitely, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Suns, victors of a second-round sweep against the Denver Nuggets, punched their ticket into the NBA’s Western Conference finals earlier this week, could be starting their best-of-7 series against either the Los Angeles Clippers or Utah Jazz without their starting point guard.
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Chris Paul Ruled Out Indefinitely, Enters COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols
Paul’s status is now up in the air, according to Charania.
“Depending on the medical circumstance,” Charania wrote, per The Athletic. “An isolation period could be shorter for a vaccinated individual. The NBA has yet to release the schedule for the conference finals, a potential Game 7 in the Jazz-Clippers conference semifinals would be played Sunday.”
The Clippers and Jazz series is currently tied, 2-2.
If Paul is vaccinated for COVID-19, it could drastically shorten his stay in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Paul, the president of National Basketball Players Associations (NBPA), addressed the topic of players and getting vaccinated, back in March.
“I think all of these situations are personal-type decisions,” Paul said, per Gerald Bourguet of Fansided.com.
Has Chris Paul Received The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Fansided’s Bourguet, whose quote from Paul resurfaced around the web shortly after the news broke as a testament to the fact that the Suns guard doesn’t support players receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, cautioned everyone that isn’t necessarily the case.
“People are flocking to this quote like it’s proof that Chris Paul is definitely anti-vaxx or something,” Bourguet tweeted. “Have to keep in mind he said this as the head of the NBPA, and it doesn’t necessarily mean he was never vaccinated.”
Averaging 15.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds this postseason, Paul has been a key catalyst for Phoenix’s extraordinary playoff run. The Suns dethroned LeBron James and the champion Los Angeles Lakers before beating MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets four times in a row in their Western Conference semifinal matchup.
Stay tuned for further updates.
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