Porter isn’t the only NBA player to express this perspective, nor is he the only member of the Nuggets to start the season unvaccinated, despite the best efforts of management and even other teammates. “The numbers are overwhelmingly supportive of getting vaccinated,” Connelly says. “I shared those opinions loudly not with just Michael—he’s not the only guy on our team that shares a similar stance. It’s something I don’t agree with, but it’s a very personal decision. It’s not something we can or would mandate.”