NBA playoff seeding isn’t quite wrapped up, but that hasn’t stopped the Boston Celtics from being at the center of (lots) of controversy about potential first-round matchups.
Before Boston was accused of trying to sidestep a first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets by sitting starters and throwing a game against the Milwaukee Bucks (which they very nearly won), the Celtics raised eyebrows when a number of starters suddenly were sidelined for a visit to the Toronto Raptors on March 28. That prompted many rumors about which Boston players were or were not vaccinated against COVID-19, as players — and any non-residents — must be fully vaccinated to enter Canada.
At the very least, Al Horford confirmed to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that he is vaccinated and will be available should there be any games in Canada.
“It’s something I haven’t wanted to discuss,” Horford told Himmelsbach. “I think with the Celtics, we made it clear we’re not going to discuss those things, and it’s a health matter, and we all respect everybody’s individual perspectives. That’s why I’m not going to get into it and talk about it. But I’m ready to go.”
Horford recently said he would “be ready to play whenever” when questioned about his vaccination status, but Himmelsbach reported that the veteran big now has explicitly confirmed his availability.
That’s a promising development, though hardly any scenario in the Eastern Conference playoff picture is guaranteed.
