Nba overwhelmed by scandals: from no-vax to millionaire fraud

Irving leads the anti-vaccine front, but risks losing a mountain of money. Meanwhile, 18 former NBA stars arrested for stealing four million from the pension system

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons archive)

Bad times run on NBA, la blasonata professional di American basketball struggling with some scandals. A front of basketball players – about 5% of all the stars and stripes championship – he declares himself openly contrary to the vaccine anti Covid and, for this reason, it is not willing to do so.

Nba, Irving leads the no-vax front

At the head of this no-vax group there is Kyrie Irving, a 29-year-old star of the Brooklyn Nets, who has in fact become a symbol for many unvaccinated colleagues. Irving, who is also the vice president of players union, he even distanced himself from a longtime friend like the Los Angeles Lakers champion LeBron James.

His “fault”? The announcement of having received the two doses of the serum. Yet life for the no-vax basketball players it could get very tough. The new health protocol of the Nba does not in fact provide for the vaccination obligation for athletes, but very strict rules which could cause more than one difficulty in the routine.

New health protocol for basketball players

Those who do not get vaccinated, for example, must make gods tamponi anti Covid newspapers. Even several times a day, according to the training program and the various technical meetings. The no-vaxes also cannot eat indoors with teammates, keep your distance and occupy detached spaces.

For example they must remain ad at least two meters by colleagues in the therapy rooms; stay away from them even in the changing rooms; or travel separately on trains and planes during travel. But it doesn’t stop there. Because the biggest problems could come on the economic front.

Irving risks losing 17 million

In New York, where the Nets play, for examplevaccination obligation for all sporting activities, including those at a competitive level. This means that Irving would risk not playing more than the half of the matches of the season: in addition to those at home, also those in other US states where the same rule applies.

But half games also means half salary. This means that it would risk losing about 17 of the 34 million dollars of his current salary. Not to mention the damage to the team on a sporting level and to the discontent of sponsors. And what is happening to Irving could also be repeated for the remaining 5% of players who refuse the vaccine.

The millionaire scam of 18 former Nba stars

That of the no-vax basketball players, however, it is not the only scandal which is overwhelming the NBA. It’s yesterday’s news, in fact, thearrest of 18 former stars of American basketball accused of having defrauded nearly four million dollars a health fund of the Association.

The names of the former players involved range from Tony Allen a Glen ‘Baby’ Davis, passing through Jamario Moon e Sebastian Telfair. It’s still: Milt Palacio, Shannon Brown, Melvin Ely, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, Tony Wroten and other.

According to what emerged from the investigation, the 18 former basketball players would have made one fraud against the welfare system through a series of fake medical bills for collect refunds. The mastermind of the scheme would have been Terrence Williams, 34, who ended his NBA career in 2013 after more than 150 games between the Houston Rockets and the New Jersey Nets.

Invoices for bogus medical services

It would have been he, in fact, to contact his former colleagues by proposing it fraudulent scheme, providing in exchange forms and assistance for a fee of 230 thousand dollars. The others would then accept, starting to ask for reimbursements for themselves and their family members performance never actually received.

In total they would have produced – starting from 2017 – invoices for four million dollars. And of these they would have cashed in at least 2.5 million until last year. That is when the federal investigations which led to the 18 arrests yesterday.

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