Big Shot LA

Laker fans recognize only one “Big Shot,” Robert Horry, AKA “Big Shot Rob,” seven-time NBA champ and famed member of the Kobe-Shaq championship teams. But now we need a new crop of LA Sports “Big Shots.” This time the moniker won’t reward clutch 4th-quarter jump shots, walk-off homeruns, or game-ending strikeouts. Instead, LA needs help with its biggest shot ever: the COVID-19 vaccination.

Despite California’s recent opening and our relative success against the virus, sports stars should know that fans are still dying. About 1000 Californians still are diagnosed with COVID-19 every day. Because many remain asymptomatic and others are never formally diagnosed, the true rate is probably closer to 4,000. The mortality rate of about 0.5% means that about 20 Californians will die of the COVID-19 infection they catch today. To end the pandemic, we must push vaccination rates to the 70-80% that produces herd immunity and eliminates ongoing infections.

Despite California’s recent opening and our relative success against the virus, sports stars should know that fans are still dying.

So, why sports stars?  Simply because they deliver the message better than anyone else.  Sports figures’ unique ability to break through to the public dates back to Babe Ruth, who revolutionized both sports and marketing in the 1920s. Advertisers discovered early on that an association with the Babe guaranteed commercial success. Ruth’s advertising income eventually more than doubled his substantial baseball salary. In commenting on Ruth’s hold on the public, The New Yorker noted that in 1934 the Associated Press ranked him as the world’s most photographed individual, surpassing FDR, and the Prince of Wales.

Although epic figures like Ruth are rare, Los Angeles boasts six players that meet the best litmus test of sports stardom: their league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. The Lakers’ Lebron James stands out even among these remarkable sports heroes. In seventeen pro seasons the 36-year-old won four NBA championships, two Olympic Gold Medals and four NBA MVP awards. His efforts on behalf of his non-profit organization and his willingness to speak out on social justice issues enhance his credibility. In recognition of Lebron’s unique status, Time Magazine placed him on its annual list of the World’s 100 most influential people four times, more than Joe Biden, Warren Buffet, or the Dalai Lama. Just imagine how much his enthusiastic endorsement would mean for a vaccination appeal.

The Angels’ Mike Trout and the Dodgers’ Albert Pujols nearly match Lebron as standouts. Each won three MVP awards. In baseball history only Barry Bonds won more. The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger also all won MVP awards and offer the additional distinction of their leadership in the Dodgers’ 2020 championship effort. Finally, the Rams’ Aaron Donald, though never a league MVP, deserves a place among the LA sports elite as a three-time NFL defensive player of the year.

The ”LA Seven” can reach many that fall beyond the reach of traditional public health advisories. Four of the seven belong to the minority groups whose vaccination rates are lagging. While 64% of the white community has been vaccinated, only 43% of the Black community and 52% of Latinos in LA County have taken the shot. The sports heroes would also likely connect with the young. Only 54% of those between 18 and 29 have been vaccinated. Among the youngest eligible, 12-15-year-olds, the rate is an abysmal 34%.

The ”LA Seven” can reach many that fall beyond the reach of traditional public health advisories.

Several prominent sports stars have made public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage vaccination including Milwaukee Bucks Star Jrue Holiday and the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson. However, none of the current crop of PSA players offers the superstar status needed to attract sufficient  attention to motivate the public.

Although California’s downturn in cases reflects progress, our LA sports stars know that a lead in the 9th inning doesn’t mean “game over.”  Continued small numbers of infections in unvaccinated individuals may preserve the embers of the epidemic. As the immunity of those previously infected wanes, these embers of persistent virus, by rekindling re-infections, could allow the virus to continue to circulate indefinitely. Each vaccination offers a step toward herd immunity and to a future without the need for repeated periodic booster vaccinations.

America has safe vaccines that can end the pandemic but it’s not enough. We need all hands-on deck for this effort. Superstars like the LA Seven should recognize this need and step up, as they would during game time. It’s late in the fourth quarter with the future health of our city and country in the balance.  LA sports celebrities should join with local sports teams, media, and the government’s public health organizations in a new program to lift our life-saving efforts to a new level: Big Shot LA.

Daniel Stone is Regional Medical Director of Cedars-Sinai Valley Network and a practicing internist and geriatrician with Cedars Sinai Medical Group. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Cedars-Sinai.