Load management has really taken over the NBA at this point. It has become somewhat of a routine occurrence to see stars sit out of a lot of games and there has been a lot of chatter on the topic in recent years.
We have had commissioner Adam Silver voice his disapproval of load management and a lot of former players have spoken against it as well. Charles Barkley has never been someone who shies away from speaking his mind and he went off at the players for load management while adding that the owners will try to do something to stop them in the future.
Charles Barkley shares his thoughts on load management…and he is NOT a fan@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 pic.twitter.com/I7PJKFkqK4
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) January 24, 2023
“First of all, it’s embarrassing for the NBA and I cannot wait for these owners to put their foot in their a***s in this next CBA. These dudes gonna do something to these players. They’re going to be like, ‘Wait a minute, you can’t make $50 million and not play half the season.’ Now you’re just slapping me in my face, taking my cheque twice a month. I see guys that got a sore hip or something. I’m like everybody is sore in the NBA after 20-30-40 games. I think it’s going to be very interesting in the next CBA because billionaires always win against millionaires and I think those owners are going to try to do something.”
“I don’t know what it is, I think there is going to be a strike or a lockout, however, you want to phrase it. I think they’re gonna say, ‘Okay, you guys don’t wanna play. I’m gonna teach y’all a lesson. We paid y’all during the pandemic, we didn’t have anybody in the stands for a couple of years but we still paid y’all and this is how y’all repay us. Making all this money and not wanting to play.’ So, I think it’s going to be very interesting the next CBA but to piggyback on your point, it’s getting to the point where it’s actually a joke now.”
It does get a bit ridiculous at times just how many games some of these players sit out. Kawhi Leonard is the name that immediately comes to mind considering all the games he has missed with load management. He last played more than 60 games in a season all the way back in 2016-17, which is crazy. Paul George seems to have followed in his footsteps as he has sat out of a lot of games as well and Barkley had criticized both of them earlier this month. Kawhi really got into this concept of load management when he was with the San Antonio Spurs and Silver had hilariously blamed Spurs executive R.C. Buford for starting load management in the NBA.
Steve Kerr Called For The NBA Season To Be Shortened
While many have called out the players for load management, there are those who have sided with the players. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is one of them, as he is of the belief that the season should be shortened to 72 games.
Kerr made those comments after resting the likes of Stephen Curry for their game against the Cavaliers. He admitted he felt sorry for the fans who paid for the game but added that it is part of the business and that he will continue to advocate for the season to be shorted, to avoid a situation like this. There definitely will be some interesting conversations going on when the next CBA will have to be negotiated.
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