Stockton, ayaw magsuot ng facemask, ban sa audience seat

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | January 25, 2022

Hindi pinayagan si NBA legend John Stockton na makapanood ng basketball games sa kanyang dating college varsity dahil sa paglabag sa COVID-19 protocols at hindi pagsusuot ng facemask.

Hindi ibinigay ng Gonzaga University ang tiket para kay Stockton bagamat binalaan na nila ang 10-time NBA all-star sa hindi nito pagsunod sa patakaran ng liga hinggil sa COVID-19 measures.

"Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement. Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times," ayon sa school spokesman.

Unang nagsalita ang 59-anyos na si Stockton hinggil sa COVID-19 vaccine noong summer.

"Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit," saad ni Stockton sa Spokesman-Review newspaper.

"And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets."

Naging star player si Stockton sa Gonzaga University mula 1980 hanggang 1984.

Siya pa rin ang all-time leader ng school pagdating sa steals sa bilang na 262.

Nakasama siya sa Basketball Hall of Fame noong 2009 makaraan ang 19 seasons na paglalaro sa Utah Jazz. Natulungan din ni Stockton ang US men's basketball team na makapagwagi ng dalawang Olympic gold medals.