Gonzaga University has suspended John Stockton’s season tickets after he refused to comply with the school’s mask mandates at games, he said in an interview with The Spokesman-Review in Washington.
In an interview on Saturday, the former Utah Jazz point guard confirmed that his tickets had been suspended by the school.
“Basically, they asked me to wear a mask to the games, and as a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stood out a little bit in the crowd,” Stockton explained. “As a result, they received complaints and felt that they would have to either ask me to wear a mask or suspend my tickets because of whatever higher-ups — those weren’t discussed, but whatever higher-ups — they were going to have to ask me to wear a mask or suspend my tickets.”
“We’ve been in discussions about various COVID things for a couple years now,” Stockton told the Spokesman-Review.
Stockton has been contacted by CNN for comment.
According to the Spokesman-Review, Stockton has been outspoken about his opposition to Covid-19 vaccines, lockdowns, and mask mandates. He previously expressed his views in the film “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies, and Misconceptions Revealed,” which features commentary from doctors who are known for spreading misinformation.
Stockton claims in the documentary interview that more than 100 professional athletes have died as a result of vaccination, but there is no evidence to back up this claim.
In the documentary interview, Stockton said, “I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead — professional athletes — in the prime of their lives, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, severe side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine are uncommon. Even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine was the cause of death, health care workers are required to report it. According to the CDC, such reports are uncommon, and all reported deaths are investigated for possible vaccine-related causes.
“According to the CDC’s (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), 20,000 people have died as a result of the vaccine, which accounts for only 1% of all deaths. So the actual numbers are almost certainly much higher, but that’s what they’re willing to admit “Stockton told the Spokesman-Review in a lengthy interview. “They shut down previous vaccine systems after 25 deaths, and now we’re back up to well over 20,000, as they admit. Over a million people have been injured.”
Anyone can submit a report to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), and a report does not mean a vaccine caused the adverse event it describes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that reports could be inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) use VAERS to look for patterns that need to be investigated further.
“Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the State’s and University’s health and safety protocols, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement,” the school said in a statement on Sunday.
“Attendees at basketball games must wear face masks at all times,” the school continued in its statement. “We won’t discuss any specific actions taken with any specific people. We are committed to enforcing COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and we will continue to assess how we can best mitigate COVID-19 risks through appropriate measures. This approach can be seen in the recent decision to suspend concessions at McCarthey Athletic Center. Protecting the health and safety of students, employees, and the community is a top priority at Gonzaga University.”
To attend home athletic events, Gonzaga requires proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event, according to the school’s website.
In an interview with the Spokesman-Review, Stockton stated that his relationship with the school is not permanently shattered, but that it “may take time to repair.”
“I believe it certainly emphasizes (the relationship with Gonzaga). I have a strong connection to the school “Stockton explained. “Since I was probably 5 or 6 years old, I’ve been a part of this campus. I was born a few blocks away and have been sneaking into gyms and selling programs to get into games since I was a small child. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m confident we’ll make it through, but not without some friction.”
Stockton was drafted in the NBA draft out of Gonzaga in 1984 and spent 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz. According to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame website, Stockton holds the single-season assist record. Stockton was also a member of the 1992 United States men’s “Dream Team,” which won gold, and he repeated the feat in 1996.
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