If Andrew Wiggins is fighting for beliefs by refusing vaccine, it's fair for media to ask about it

This is a column by Morgan Campbell, who writes opinion for CBC Sports. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

This past weekend, information trickled out of San Francisco about Andrew Wiggins, the Canadian national team star, and a key piece of the Golden State Warriors' plans to rebound from a lacklustre season.

We learned Wiggins, who is scheduled to enter his second full season with the Warriors, was restricted to solo workouts because local COVID-19 protocols prevent unvaccinated people from gathering indoors in large groups. Then we learned that with training camp set to open, Wiggins risked missing Warriors' home games unless he complied with San Francisco's vaccine guidelines.

Everyone at indoor sports events is required to show proof of vaccination. No exceptions for players. Even the first pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Monday afternoon, at the Warriors' season-opening news conference, we finally heard from Wiggins himself. He sat at the head table in a gold-trimmed blue Warriors jersey and, in the clips that hit the internet first, seemed… not quite surly, but snippy. Certainly annoyed, and likely tired of answering questions about his vaccination status.

But this was a press conference, so the questions kept coming, including one from a reporter curious about how Wiggins was dealing with the prospect of missing the Warriors' entire home schedule, and passing up half his eight-figure salary.

WATCH l Bring It In panel discusses NBA's vaccine issue: