As load management in the NBA continues to be a hot topic, many have continued to criticize players for their sitting games for no real reason. Several years ago, load management became such a hot topic that the NBA eventually implemented guidelines for nationally televised games.
As much as the league wanted to do everything it could to prevent tanking throughout the season, it also tried to curb load management. In 2019, load management was described by Dr. Marcus Elliot as the practice of reducing the level of stress a player’s body is subjected to on a daily basis so that they can recover and decrease the risk of injury.
While this practice sounds good in theory, it has opened the door to broader interpretations that have seen players sit out games they could have played. Usually, this happens on the second night of back-to-back games, when a player returning to the rotation is resting.
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Despite the reasoning behind this practice, it appears to have done little to reduce injuries. As Stan Van Gundy recently pointed out online, players in the ’90s practiced more often and played more consecutively while sustaining fewer injuries. With more casualties than ever before, he wondered if we were heading in the right direction.
Above you can see ESPN covering load management in the NBA.
Hall of Famers weigh in on load management in the NBA
Unsurprisingly, the older generation of players are not very happy with the load management in the NBA. After playing in an era where there was less technology and less science behind their daily practices, Hall of Famers have voiced their criticisms.
Unsurprisingly, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have been the most prominent critics of burden management, with both men speaking at length on the subject.
As Barkley predicted on an episode of SiriusXM NBA Radio earlier this month, players could be in trouble when the collective bargaining agreement ends. He thinks there could be a lockout as both sides fight for control.
“These guys are going to do something to these players. They’re going to say, wait a minute, you can’t make $50 million and not play half the season, okay? Because now you’re really slapping me and you take my check. twice a month.”
The late Kobe Bryant was also a fairly vocal critic of load management. In 2019, Bryant was baffled by the idea of load management. In his eyes, being healthy enough to compete is your job as an NBA player.
“A lot of people pay their hard-earned money to see you play. It’s your job to be fit. It’s your job to perform at that level every night. And as a competitor, I don’t shy away. It’s not like, “Oh, my back hurts.” I am not well. We have to face Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors tonight.'”
With the CBA at the end of the 2023-24 season, it will be interesting to see how things play out.
(Suggested reading: Robert Horry with a hot version of LeBron breaking Kareem’s record)
