Adam Silver is the perfect NBA commissioner because for the most part it sounds like he is a scientifically advanced robot given a script of words and a small chip of human emotion, just like a Westworld host. That’s perhaps the most important characteristic of a professional sports league commissioner. Having to navigate extremely controversial topics and appeal to every single person who enjoys basketball may not even be worth the $10 million/year.
But being a commissioner during 2020 was like an accelerated course and Adam Silver is not above shooting the shit with Chuck and Shaq to publicly recommend Kyrie Irving just get the vaccine at this point.
For someone like Kyrie, this logical and matter of fact answer from Adam Silver will certainly not compute. Accept science, modern medicine and rational thinking? Not in Kyrie’s playbook. Ending the interview with “I wish he were here” while looking directly into the camera was such a power move from Silvs too. Who’s going to fine him for speaking out?
Ultimately I don’t think Adam Silver’s professional recommendation to simply get vaccinated is going to make much of an impact on Kyrie’s decision. If anyone out there is going to stand up in the face of local labor laws and city government regulations, you know it’s Kyrie. For efficient shooting and antibodies, you’ll have to look elsewhere.