Richard Jefferson On Load Management

[dlts20]

This is how I always feel and this is what MJ always talked about why he tried to play every single game.

Watch on YouTube

[Homer38]

The load management killed this game and it would never have happened under David Stern, unless it was at the end of the regular season

Remember when he fined Spurs for doing that once 10 years ago. Silver is way too soft on many things and that's another example

[G35]

This is how I always feel and this is what MJ always talked about why he tried to play every single game.

Watch on YouTube

Had a similar experience of having my Dad drop me off for an event and wait around for it to end and then picked me up after it was over. I liked the event but it made me appreciate my Dad even more......

[Lockdown504090]

nothing will happen unless fans stop going, or someone successfully sues for their money back. There is no logic in playing through nagging injuries. it doesnt help the league to have stars missing playoffs or national games. It doesnt help players to shorten their careers, and it doesnt help teams to have stars not be stars for their whole contracts.

this only hurts fans going to games and they are becoming less of the nba's revenue every year.

[baldur]

I thought medical sciences, training techniques and nutritients have advanced compared to 30 years ago, not to mention the game is not even physical anymore yet all those superstars play only 60 games out of 80 games at most.

Beyond ridiculous.

[Bornstellar]

Hmm, I never knew D-Rob was his favorite player growing up. Kinda neat. And totally agree with RJ. I went to three different games last year and DeJounte Murray didn't play in any of them

[JonFromVA]

nothing will happen unless fans stop going, or someone successfully sues for their money back. There is no logic in playing through nagging injuries. it doesnt help the league to have stars missing playoffs or national games. It doesnt help players to shorten their careers, and it doesnt help teams to have stars not be stars for their whole contracts.

this only hurts fans going to games and they are becoming less of the nba's revenue every year.

If there was enough interest, NBA teams could start selling star insurance ... but it'd also be cool if fans of stars just stopped going to games, maybe ticket prices would go down for fans who go to watch their team.

[dlts20]

I'm from the DMV but now in okc. We are finally good again but the past few years and even now, we are not sexi enough for stars to play. They love to load manage against us some I'm always hesitant to buy tickets but they will play the next game in the state over to watch Luka

[nomansland]

If I were a player I'd want to do what's in my best interest for the long term prospects of my career. If I were a team (FO, owners), I'd make calculated decisions about how to best protect my assets. And if I were a coach I'd be thinking about how to preserve my job via getting wins over the medium-long term.

Now, and this is gonna sting, if that comes at the expense of disappointed fans every now and then, so be it. Fans have to adjust their expectations and accept the risk that the "star player" they want to see might not suit up that specific game. Over time, we'll see if it affects ticket prices and/or advertising revenue. It should, but if it doesn't, the decisions the providers make will be validated.

One thing that we often seem to forget is that professional sports are entertainment businesses. Emphasis on businesses. Players are entertainers. So as customers of an entertainment business the only thing we can do is express our contentment with the product via the money we spend.

Things have changed. Adjust your expectations and spend your money accordingly.

[Harry Garris]

I thought medical sciences, training techniques and nutritients have advanced compared to 30 years ago, not to mention the game is not even physical anymore yet all those superstars play only 60 games out of 80 games at most.

Beyond ridiculous.

Ironically if the game was slower and more physical players would likely be getting hurt less than they are now. The high pace and constant movement of the modern game comes with a higher risk of soft tissue injuries.

You can play through a bump or a bruise pretty easily. You can't really play basketball on a high ankle sprain or a torn knee tendon.

[MTJazzv3]

For a minute there I thought that Richard Jefferson was actually hiding on a current NBA roster right now "load managing". The end of the NBA as we know it will be when the Utah Jazz give Rudy Gay, currently eating minutes with horrible play, DNP's for "load management", lol.

[NYKnickerbocker]

Fans have to respond with their wallets for a prolonged period of time. Something that won’t happen. So player will play less and less lol

[mademan]

This is a business. The business wants to protect it's assets (players), the players want to prolong their careers and it hasnt effected the bottom line. Feels like a win all around

[brutalitops]

Because of my Pro Slavery views I'm more then happy to force players to play when they are tired hurt and potentially risk their health

late stage capitalism bull, I care about the ticket I bought over someones health

[HomoSapien]

That's an incredibly moving story, from RJeff.

[Swish1906]

It’s not load management, it’s „hey league, remove your stupid B2Bs“

The problem isn’t load management, it’s stupid scheduling. But hey let’s add a stupid midseason tournament too

[shangrila]

Because of my Pro Slavery views I'm more then happy to force players to play when they are tired hurt and potentially risk their health

late stage capitalism bull, I care about the ticket I bought over someones health

[prophet_of_rage]

Players don't pick the nights off. The orgs do.

Sent from my SM-S9080 using RealGM mobile app

[jg77]

I grew up a huge Chipper Jones fan and my fam saved up some money and got me tickets to a Braves game during his last season. Drove over 5 hours to watch him play…I would’ve been crushed if he didn’t play so I feel what RJ is saying

[og15]

I thought medical sciences, training techniques and nutritients have advanced compared to 30 years ago, not to mention the game is not even physical anymore yet all those superstars play only 60 games out of 80 games at most.

Beyond ridiculous.

A main part of the advanced is figuring out when players are most likely to get injured and to hopefully prevent injury, especially with how players play now, as well as how to prolong careers.

So teams and their trainers are not in the business of playing their guys as much as possible if they feel there is an injury risk, and they let the players know this is for their own good.

Like another poster mentioned, the physicality of basketball isn't football or rugby, what's going to get you more in basketball is injuring ligaments and straining/injuring muscles which will correlate with covering more ground and making more sharp movements.