If you ask players or fans for a Top 5 list of the best NBA players of all-time, odds are the first two names out of the majority of mouths will be Michael Jordan and LeBron James. There’s a spot in there for Kobe Bryant and others, but the general consensus is that the GOAT debate has been whittled down to James and Jordan. Then, it’s a matter of playstyle preference.
With the NBA back on NBC, the network has gone all-out for the new season. That includes getting Jordan in the studio for analysis, game coverage and exclusive interviews in a series called “MJ: Insights to Excellence“. In the second installment, the concept of “load management” in today’s NBA came up. Unsurprisingly, Jordan believes “it shouldn’t be needed” and thinks the game has changed for the worse in that regard.
Michael Jordan hits hard on the topic of “load management” by NBA stars
“I never wanted to miss a game, because it was an opportunity to prove. The fans are there to watch me play, I want to impress that guy way up on top who worked his ass off to get a ticket.“
MJ does understand that injuries happen. After all, he went through them during his playing career too. But if a player’s body is healthy enough to get on the court, then they have a “duty” to play.
“You have a duty that if they’re wanting to see you, and as an entertainer I want to show. So if the guys are coming to watch me play, I don’t want to miss that opportunity. Now, physically, if I can’t do it then I can’t do it. But physically, if I can do it, and I just don’t feel like doing it, that’s a whole different lens.“
Players like James, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid and other stars have garnered criticism in recent years for taking games off to rest instead of pushing through what are seemingly minor injuries or not even real injuries at all. Clearly, Jordan believes the game has changed, but not in a good way when it comes to going out every night and putting on a show for fans.
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