Report: Toronto’s vaccine mandate to continue for 2022-23 NBA season

According to a report from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the NBA alerted teams on Monday that non-vaccinated players will continue to be ineligible for games in Toronto without a “valid medical reason” for not being vaccinated.

Last season, this rule prevented Philadelphia 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle from playing in Games 3, 4 and 6 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, as well as a regular-season game on Apr. 5. Thybulle said he received one dose of the vaccine, but not a second one. As a result, he was not fully vaccinated for any of those games. It is unclear whether his status has changed in the ensuing months. He was the lone member of the Sixers ruled ineligible.

P.J. Tucker played in the Miami Heat’s Feb. 1 contest in Toronto. Beginning Jan. 15, athletes had to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House’s teams did not have road games in Toronto from Jan. 15 onward. However, Melton did say last September he received his first vaccine dose and was waiting to get the second one.

Unlike last year’s preseason, the Sixers don’t travel to Toronto, so we’ll have to wait a bit to see if this mandate will continue to affect Thybulle, along with any of Philadelphia’s summer additions.