NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal has weighed in on the COVID vaccine mandate debate—and it’s one where he might be targeted for cancellation like Joe Rogan. Why? Well, he spoke his mind. He’s pro-vaccine too. He took it. He’s not against the vaccine, but he is against forcing people to take something they don’t want. O’Neal, a four-time champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and 15-time all-star made his position clear on his podcast (via Fox News):
But it’s just, people don’t want to take it, and you shouldn’t be forced to take something you don’t want," he [Shaq] said.
O’Neal and his co-hosts Nischelle Turner and Anthony "Spice" Adams spoke about the New York nurses who were accused of making more than $1 million over fake vaccine cards. O’Neal said the two shouldn’t be sent to jail and gave Turner a hypothetical scenario regarding her work on "Entertainment Tonight."
O’Neal and Turner debated whether it was fair for a private company to dismiss someone who doesn’t receive the COVD-19 vaccine. The former center suggested a worker shouldn’t have to make the decision to get vaccinated if it was "going against (their) morals."
Turner said she disagreed with O’Neal and said if a worker doesn’t want to comply with the company rules then there’s the door.
"I’m with you on the rules because I’m a rules guy," O’Neal said. "But I do feel sympathetic towards people who have to make that kind of decision."
Turner replied: "I don’t. Not when you’re putting other people at risk."
Shaq comes out against vaccine mandates on his podcast. I have gained so much respect for many different people in public positions who have had the courage to stand up for individual freedoms despite all the pressures against doing so. pic.twitter.com/Uig6Rz7q1D
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 4, 2022
Shaq to Biden’s vaccine mandate. pic.twitter.com/dFryqT2CRt
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 4, 2022
It seems to be a 180-degree turn from his initial position on the whole matter as well. Shaq slammed Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, who refused to take the vaccine which caused issues with the team. Here’s what he said back in September (via CBS Sports):
On the latest episode of "Tiki and Tierney" on CBS Sports Radio/CBS Sports Network, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal was asked what he would do if Irving was his teammate.
Shaq did not mince words. Here's what he said:
"I would go upstairs and say 'get him up outta here. Get him up outta here' We can win with the one-two punch, a great shooter, and the rebounders we have. Cause now every day, we have to answer questions about him and what he's doing. Get his ass up outta here. Whoever owns the Brooklyn Nets, get him outta here"
We can all change our opinions. Shaq’s take is probably where most Americans land, and it’s not about safety anymore. The vaccinated can still contract and spread COVID, so that line is dead. If it were up to the Left, everyone will be forced to be vaccinated, all will be forced to wear masks, even outside, and no one would be allowed to leave their homes…since the vaccinated can still spread COVID. Sounds like hell, right? Keep in mind, COVID has a 99-plus percent survivability rate. It’s not some super-killer pathogen. Yet, this is the perfect excuse to enact a hyper-authoritarian agenda on government control and there are enough idiots who watch CNN and MSNBC who would believe that COVID is the end of humanity.
We have the vaccine. Whether or not you take it should be up to you. Period. End the mandates. Burn the masks. Reopen everything. And trash the passport idea. The circus is over. Yes, there will be another COVID spike. Yes, there will be another variant. It’s a virus; it’s what they do. Get over it. We have weapons in the arsenal to manage this virus in the same way we have a variety of therapeutics and vaccines to manage the cold and the flu, which also sees a spike in cases on a seasonal basis. Add COVID to that list. Can we get on with it now?