Whether he likes it or not, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will soon have to make a big decision about load management in the league.
The practice of players sitting out of games to preserve their bodies isn’t new but it’s become more contentious and controversial than ever before.
Everyone, from athletes to coaches and journalists, is talking about it.
Charles Barkley weighs in on load management in the NBA:
"You can't make $30, $40, $50 million and then sit out games. I think it's disrespectful to the game, I think it's disrespectful to the fans." pic.twitter.com/WLFTnhRCV7
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 27, 2023
And now NBA legend and commentator Charles Barkley has given his two cents about the subject.
Speaking to Stephen A. Smith on ESPN, Barkley said what many other people are thinking regarding load management:
“You can’t make $30, $40, $50 million and then sit out games. I think it’s disrespectful to the game, I think it’s disrespectful to the fans.”
Silver recently said that he doesn’t “buy into” the idea of load management being a big problem within the league.
He might be alone with that opinion.
The league is currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with players and also has its eye on an upcoming deal for television distribution.
Load management will definitely be a part of any and all negotiations.
Silver has attempted to do a few things to cut down on this tactic, from giving players a longer break after the All-Star Game and limiting the number of back-to-backs they experience during the season.
Still, load management persists and is more infuriating than ever.
It’s clear that this is going to be talked about for a long time unless the NBA makes some big commitments to eliminating load management.
This simply isn’t going away.
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