Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen, despite having a relatively short prime in the league, playing 13 seasons.
Magic would’ve loved to play more if health didn’t sideline him and commented on how load management is hurting the game in the modern era.
“I enjoyed trying to play all the games because I love to play… Things have really changed now because of load management, and I think that it’s good to protect the guys, but it also hurts the game… When you have big games that we look forward to seeing a Stephen Curry, LeBron, or Kevin Durant or Paul George and those guys, it hurts when we don’t see them play.” (h/t People)
Magic’s take is relatively nuanced, as he understands the benefits behind load management in the modern NBA. The teams need to find a middle ground where teams or the players play their stars more often, if not for anything else but to entertain the paying fans that may just be able to afford to come to one NBA game a season.
Is Load Management Necessary?
We just saw Anthony Davis sit out the second game of a back-to-back with the Lakers hoping to make the playoffs while 4 games under .500. If stars don’t play B2Bs even when it’s a must-win situation, there should be concern around the league.
Players of the previous generation ran their bodies into the ground by playing as often as they could. The newer generation wants to extend their career to collect as many contracts and not be beaten up or broken when they head into their retirement. But in the short term, it’s robbing fans of an opportunity to see them play live, especially when they load-manage games on the road.
If the league starts employing a threshold of minimum games played for qualification for league awards like the All-NBA team and their trophies, this might change. But until then, fans and media will continue to be frustrated by this.
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