Michael Jordan didn’t believe in skipping games, not even during the preseason, not even in small towns, and certainly not just because of rest.
According to former teammate Stacey King, the Chicago Bulls legend made it a point to play in every arena, no matter how remote or how low-stakes the matchup seemed. That included exhibition games in places like Lincoln, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, markets where most NBA stars would have opted out.
King, speaking on his Gimme The Hot Sauce podcast, shared a perspective that underscores what separated Jordan from most modern superstars.
“There’s people who come to these games and they want to see Michael Jordan, they want to see Durant, they want to see LeBron James. This might be the only time they’re able to see him, and they come to see the one game where you decide to have load management.”
“Michael never did that. Michael never sat out games. If Michael sat out a game, he made sure he played at least 25 minutes. So you saw him play. Whether it be preseason, he didn’t miss any regular season games.”
“But during preseason, where most stars sit out, he played. And we played in Lincoln, Nebraska. We played in Sioux Falls. We played in some small venues to reach the people who may not be able to get to a big city to see us.”
“We went to those places and played. And most star players? ‘I’m not playing in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’m sitting out.’ Michael would play the first and third quarter, 24 minutes, to let people see him, because he recognized, and Kobe was the same way, that this might be the only time they’re able to afford to see me play.”
“And I want to make sure I put on a show. These guys nowadays? They don’t look at it that way. The fans pay these, they pay these enormous, these crazy salaries.”
“You owe the fans everything you got. And I mean, you do. Whether it’s baseball, football, you owe the fans to go out there and put in an honest day’s work. If you can play, you’re not hurt, you owe it to the fans to go out there and show your appreciation for them.”
It’s hard to argue with that sentiment. Attending an NBA game is an expensive experience. For fans in small towns or lower-income communities, a preseason game might be the only live experience they ever get. Jordan understood that, and he played accordingly.
Still, the conversation around load management isn’t black and white. While King’s criticism of today’s stars isn’t unfounded, the league is also dealing with an unprecedented injury wave. The 2024–25 season alone saw 12 star players suffer Achilles or ACL injuries, an alarming spike in major lower-body issues.
From 1990 to 2023, there were 45 total Achilles tears. But in just one season, 2024–25, eight players went down with Achilles injuries, including major stars like Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton.
Tatum’s injury, suffered early in the second round, derailed the Celtics’ dynasty ambitions. Lillard tore his Achilles in the first round and was later waived and stretched by the Bucks, ending his tenure in Milwaukee.
Perhaps most heartbreakingly, Haliburton was on fire in Game 7 of the NBA Finals before rupturing his Achilles, robbing fans of what could have been a legendary showdown.
So while Jordan’s ethos deserves praise and his respect for fans remains the gold standard, it’s also worth acknowledging that the pace, physicality, and year-round nature of the modern NBA may demand more caution than in decades past.
That said, King’s broader point still lands. Michael Jordan showed up, even when he didn’t have to. Even when it was Sioux Falls.
Even when it was preseason, he didn’t just preserve his legacy on national TV, he built it in the tiny gyms, the overlooked cities, the places where a kid’s only memory of seeing Michael Jordan would be that one magical night when the greatest of all time didn’t take the night off.
