Report: NBA, union recommend vaccine booster dose for players, coaches

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are suggesting that all players, coaches, and any other Tier 1 employees receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine "as soon as possible," sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The league reportedly made the recommendation due to an increase in COVID-19 case counts.

Several players have entered the NBA's health and safety protocols in recent weeks. The Philadelphia 76ers alone reportedly had four players, including Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, in protocols recently. Harris has since been cleared and played Thursday against the Toronto Raptors.

Other names sidelined this week due to COVID-19 protocols include Cleveland Cavaliers forwards Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen, San Antonio Spurs forward Jakob Poeltl, and Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that any adults in the U.S. who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a booster shot at least two months after their initial vaccination.

The league agreed to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations this season for all of its referees and any other personnel that interact with players in person, including team coaching and medical staffs and front-office members. The NBA also sought to reach an agreement on a league-wide vaccine mandate for its players, but the NBPA rejected the proposal.