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Report: Unvaccinated Nets, Knicks, Warriors players won't be allowed in home arenas

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors players who haven't received a COVID-19 vaccine won't be allowed to play in their home arenas without an exemption, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.

Per the report, local regulations in New York and San Francisco bar unvaccinated players from even entering the Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden and the Chase Center without an approved medical or religious exemption. The NBA has informed teams that those laws indeed apply to players.

Visiting players who aren't vaccinated, however, will be allowed to play, per the report. Why visiting players don't face the same standards as home players isn't clear.

Will policies impact any players?

It's also not clear if the rules would impact players on any of the three teams. There is no vaccine mandate for NBA players. The Knicks, Nets and Warriors haven't revealed vaccination information about their players. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill in July that 90% of NBA players had received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Oct 25, 2019; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (11) grabs a rebound against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Nets and Knicks players must be vaccinated to play at home, per a report (Brad Penner/Reuters) (USA Today Sports / reuters)

Vaccine polices for NBA fans, staff

Coaches and team and arena staff who interact with players and referees are reportedly required to be vaccinated. The Nets announced in August that staff and fans 12 years or older entering Barclays Center must show proof of vaccination. The policy was put in place in response to a New York City mandate requiring proof of vaccination for most public indoor gatherings.

The Knicks haven't announced a similar policy, but they required fans to show proof of vaccination to attend last season's home games in their playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Warriors announced in August that Chase Center would require proof of vaccination from fans 12 older. The policy complies with a San Francisco Department of Public Health mandate requiring proof of vaccination from people 12 or older to attend indoor gatherings of more than 1,000 people.