MY ACCOUNT
Matisse Thybulle is ineligible for the third and fourth games of the Philadelphia 76ers upcoming playoff series with the Toronto Raptors, due to his vaccination status.
Following the Sixers’ 118-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Thybulle confirmed he has only received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Canada has a Covid-19 vaccine mandate to enter the country and because of Thybulle’s vaccination status, he is unable to enter the country and play any playoff games in Toronto.
“I’m not fully vaccinated,” Thybulle said post-match. “I made this decision a while ago where this situation I’m facing right now was not a factor.
“It wasn’t part of any of the decision making because at the time I would be available for my team and I would be available to play and not restricted in any way to do my job.
“Having had this stance I’ve had for almost a year now, I just felt like it couldn’t be something I could be forced to do because of rules or regulation changes. And it just seemed like the right thing for me just to see it through. And unfortunately, the repercussions of that are going to mean missing games and not being there for my teammates.”
The 25-year-old Australian was a member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and is third for the 76ers this season in net rating, only behind Joel Embiid and James Harden.
