NBA
Charles Barkley’s load management rant: “Shut the hell up and play!”
The NBA legend took a swipe at players who try to take advantage of load management. “They earn 30, 40, 50 million a year for playing four days a week.”
The new NBA season tipped off with two high-flying games. Jokic’s Nuggets managed to breeze past LeBron’s Lakers, while the new and fearsome Phoenix left their candidacy for the ring at the expense of the Warriors. However, and far from the parties, one of the most controversial topics of recent years, that of load management, seems to have written a new chapter in its already long list of detractors.
Charles Barkley, NBA legend, in statements for Inside the NBA on TNT, has been the latest voice to rally against the measure to safeguard players and teams from injuries. Barkley forged his legacy in the 1990s, eventually being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
“I’m talking to the players, man. Forget about the owners, forget about the fans. As a player, you’re making 30, 40, 50 million dollars to play basketball four days a week,” Barkley would comment, visibly startled. “Now, if you are injured, don’t play. But everybody hurts after the first two weeks of the season. Your leg’s sore, your knee’s sore. If you are injured, I don’t want you to play. But the notion that... number one, bless these guys. Y’all got the best shoes, you got the best medical staff, you got these guys sleeping in chambers, you got ice baths... Man, if you can play, shut the hell up and play!”
What is load management?
Load management is the measure that franchises use when managing the minutes of their stars, mainly on court . The ultimate goal is for players to be able to play more minutes effectively throughout the regular season. Although it is mainly the medical and coaching bodies that usually make the decision regarding minutes on the floor, in practice several analysts have complained that it is the players themselves who also have a great say in the final decision of whether to play or not.
In the Lakers’ opening game on Tuesday, for example, the Los Angeles franchise made the controversial decision to give LeBron 29 effective minutes of play. The Lakers’ plan would be to control ‘King’s time this season due to his age and propensity for injuries. The measure fell on deaf ears because right in the last quarter the Nuggets managed to increase their lead on the scoreboard and win the game.