The NBA has often seen players being rested in order to prioritize their minutes and make sure that they are fit for the important games later down the line. Star players and injury-prone players are usually the ones that get rested the most. But it can have an impact on the popularity of the league, as pointed out by Chris Finch.
Chris Finch recently commented on NBA players taking games off for the purposes of rest more often, saying that it has become a status symbol and it is hurting the league. Stan Van Gundy agreed with Finch, pointing to Michael Jordan’s final season in the NBA, where he was 39 years old and played big minutes in all games of the season.
https://twitter.com/realStanVG/status/1468314541662433282
“Chris Finch is absolutely right. Michael Jordan in his final year in Washington at 39 years old played all 82 games and averaged 37 minutes per game. If you bought a ticket to see Jordan you were going to see Jordan. It was a different world then.”
Both Finch and Van Gundy have a point. The NBA has been built on the backs of the superstars and they are the big draw for several fans to buy tickets and pack up arenas.
But if these stars decide to take the night off in order to rest their legs and make sure they are ready for the more crucial games in the season, it can become disappointing for fans who paid big money to come to watch them.
On the other hand, we have seen how the developments in medicine and body science have allowed players to extend their careers. In the past, NBA players would have shorter careers compared to today. Resting players allows them to possibly have longer careers, as their bodies are not being exerted as much.
