Show of hands: who thought Plies would become one of Hip Hop’s voices of reason in 2021? From calling out CEOs for not fairly compensating employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic to highlighting the hypocrisy of pro-police Blue Lives Matter supporters, the 45-year-old Florida rapper has emerged as an unlikely source of wisdom on social media.
This week, Plies weighed in on another topic that’s been dividing opinion lately: the NBA’s COVID-19 vaccine policy. Earlier this month, the debate heated up after the Brooklyn Nets decided to ban Kyrie Irving from all team activities (that includes playing games) until he agrees to get vaccinated.
The All-Star point guard is a staunch anti-vaxxer, a controversial stance that has been applauded by the likes Chris Brown and T.I., while simultaneously earning him the title of the “top idiot in the country” by radio host Howard Stern.
On Tuesday (October 19), NBA legend Magic Johnson shared his thoughts on the topic in an interview with CBS Mornings. The Los Angeles Lakers icon urged all NBA players to get jabbed, saying they’re letting their teammates down if they don’t — a comment that was taken as a thinly-veiled shot at Kyrie Irving.
Magic Johnson, who tested positive for HIV during his playing career in 1991 and continues to live a normal life with the diagnosis, has been used as fodder by various anti-vaxxers and conservatives in the debate surrounding Kyrie’s ban.
“The fascist NBA won’t let Kyrie Irving play for refusing a vaccine,” controversial Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted last week. “But yet they still let Magic Johnson play with HIV.”
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But on Wednesday (October 20), Plies entered the fray to talk some sense. The Florida rapper took to Twitter to shut down those who have been drawing a false equivalency between the NBA banning Kyrie Irving for being unvaccinated and Magic Johnson playing multiple seasons with a HIV diagnosis.
“People Say The NBA Let Magic Play With HIV,” he wrote. “U Can’t Contract HIV From Shaking Hands, Hugging, Coughing, & Running Up & Down The Court. COVID U CAN. HIV Is Transmitted Thru Drop of blood(SyringeOr Unscreened), Birth & Unprotected Sex. If Players Were Havin Babies, Sex Or Sharing Syringe U Had A Point!”
Plies even flamed a Twitter user who replied to his tweet by making a crude joke about Magic Johnson having HIV.
“I’d be more scared of Magic Johnson & his HIV then covid itself,” the follower wrote, to which Plies responded, “I’m Quite Sure Magic Is More Scared Of U Sweetheart Then U Are Of Him!!!!!”
While Kyrie Irving’s future as a full-time NBA player remains in doubt, you can rest assured Plies will continue to be a voice of reason on social media.
Clown
Wanna elaborate on why he’s a clown for what he said? I’m no fan of his but what he said is 100% facts. If you think there’s a comparison between h. i.v and Covid then you stupid af
NBA players are not a risk. Obese, fat people and the elderly.
NBA players are not at risk. Obese, overweight, fat people are, and the elderly
Also, it’s not the NBA deciding this. This is the law in NY. People go on rants without knowing the right information. Plies is 1000% right.
I played in Brooklyn the other night and I’m not vaccinated. The NBA is only after players with heavy influence that are black. I’m still waiting for players of other races to urge their communities to go get jabbed. What about Brady or A Rodgers? Shouldn’t they urge white folk to get the shot?
NBA players get small cuts all the time y’all can say hes right all you want but at the end of the day your chance of survival with aids vs covid…do I even need to say more? y’all sound like sheeps every time a celeb who’s getting paid on the side to advocate for covid. At the end of the day it should be an individual decision.
Damn that dude is ugly!
Disagree…Magic got HIV during a different time..There was no COVID around and having HIV had a different connotation than it does today.
Seems to me the puppet masters are pulling Johnson’s and Plies’ strings. Why do the vaccinated care if a person is not vaccinated
99.9% of people would rather play basketball with players with COVID rather than players with HIV. People who are co-signing Plies are being fake. They wouldn’t kiss a woman or man if he or she was HIV positive, same with Plies
Only old ppl and fat asses die from covid and last I checked they aren’t in the nba so shut the fuck up plies and basketball players get cut on the court all the time so there’s your blood