Any unvaccinated NBA player with temporary visa status who leaves the country will be unable to reenter the United States, according to a memo obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday.
For example, a player who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 would be unable to reenter the United States after playing in Canada. The same applies if an unvaccinated player travels outside the United States during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The NBA informed teams on Tuesday that unvaccinated players will no longer be allowed to travel to Toronto to play games beginning Jan. 15, according to the memo. Teams are instructed to distribute the memo to all players by Friday.
New Canadian law mandates that all visitors entering that country must be vaccinated.
Under the law, anybody who meets the criteria for limited exceptions would be allowed entry into Canada but would have to quarantine there for 14 days.
Teams must furnish the league office with a list of unvaccinated players by Friday, the memo said. The NBA says 97% of its players are vaccinated, and sources told ESPN that more than 60% have received booster shots.