Jazz Legend John Stockton Rips NBA Load Management Trend: “I Just Don’t Think That’s Ok…”

John Stockton gives fiery response on growing load management trend.

3 Min Read

Credit: RVR Photos/USA Today Sports

Today’s NBA is all about player empowerment, and the ‘load management’ trend has become another way for players to prioritize their own wants over the team and the fans who ultimately pay to see them play. 

While the practice itself has been mostly normalized, not everyone is so willing to accept it, and John Stockton is one of them.

This week, the Jazz legend joined the long list of former athletes to speak up against the new tradition in a chat on SiriusXM NBA Radio:

“I do think it’s a danger for the league. I went to a major league baseball game once and I went to watch one player and he took the day off. My opinion of him, my opinion of the team, my opinion of baseball all dropped in a blink and I said, I’m never gonna let that happen.’ Kids will travel. I know one young man who lost his life trying to get to a Jazz game and got into a car accident on the way down once. And when you realize people spend their money, they spend their time, they risk a lot of things to see you play and you take the night off? I just don’t think that’s okay.”

Obviously, nobody is expecting guys to play through injuries. Over the course of an 82-game season, injuries are an inevitability. Stockton, however, is a good example of premium availability.


Stockton Was One Of The NBA’s Most Durable Athletes

While it’s somewhat rare for players to play more than 80% of their games, plenty of players have done it before. Stockton, of course, is one of them. In 19 seasons, he only missed 22 games for the Jazz and it is part of the reason he was able to achieve so much success in the league.

In more than 1,500 games, Stockton averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game on 51% shooting. He’s a 10x All-Star, 11x All-NBA player, and the NBA’s leading assist man with 15,806 dimes credited to his name.

Obviously, his success had a lot to do with discipline, practice, and natural skills. But Stockton’s availability was also a huge factor in how his career played out.

Maybe more of the game’s modern-day players should follow his lead…

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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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