Where Amazing Happens? NBA load management has redefined what ‘amazing’ means. Amazing moments remain courtside. Fans who paid to make an amazing difference will witness a team with amazing indifference. An amazing experience becomes an amazing financial rip-off.
The NBA focuses on a star-centered approach. Star power drives its fan base more than any of the other major North American professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL). Fans pays hundreds, even thousands of dollars to view their favorite players. They pay a premium to experience the live atmosphere of what’s marketed as the world’s highest quality of basketball.
Tip-off occurs in 30 minutes. You’ve received a breaking news alert. That player you were eager to see? That player whom was never listed on the injury report? He has been ruled out. The team cites load management. They want him to rest. They’re wanting to cut his minutes in an attempt to either keep him fresh for a potential playoff run (e.g. Kawhi Leonard) or the next season (e.g. LeBron James).
Put yourself in this situation.
This scenario wasn’t load management. These were legitimate injuries (although load management was the reason for LeBron missing recent games). My point is that nearly $7,000 for two of the NBA’s finest? Scratch that! Now you’re getting Alex Caruso and Ersan Ilyasova. People pay big money for these events. They shouldn’t have to worry about healthy players sitting out without notice. Injuries are one thing. Not giving advance notice of load management? That’s bad faith. Situations like these occur—without legitimate injuries.
Imagine paying a steep price to see a concert. You’re most excited about the headline attraction: your favorite 80s rock band / rap group. Right before they’re scheduled to take stage, it’s announced that they won’t perform. No refunds. You must accept their alternative: Imagine Dragons.
SoBros Network editor Big Natural Stoney Keeley gives years of profits created from this blog to watch a Kesha concert in Nashville. But wait! There’s a swerve! Kesha’s record label decides that Kesha must preserve herself for tomorrow night’s concert in Chicago. Her replacement: The Chainsmokers. Big Natural is a wrestling enthusiast who loves a good swerve. He doesn’t think much of this one.
Consider when the Cleveland Cavaliers used to randomly rest Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and LeBron all at the same time. That George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Brooks & Dunn concert you expected? Now you’re getting Johnny Rebel, Jordan Davis, and Florida Georgia Line. You spend the whole concert singing to yourself, “I Hate Everything.”
Houston Rockets guard James Harden and future Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant have both voiced displeasure against load management: Here’s a quote from Harden:
“What is that? I’m a hooper. I love to hoop. I know hooping isn’t gonna be here forever, so I love to get out there and compete. The best days are when your legs are a little tired and your shots isn’t falling. Those are the best days because you gotta figure a way to get through it. I love to go out there and compete and hoop.”
“No, the only time I took a game off is when I couldn’t walk. The thing about taking games off is your games, your seasons in your career go by really, really, quickly. So, you want to make sure you don’t miss any of those moments. The other part about that is there are kids in the crowd and families in the crowd…. this will be the only time they get a chance to see you. They save up their hard-earned money to watch you perform. So, if you can walk and perform get there and perform.”
That’s what makes these men great players. They get it. It’s not only about the championships. It’s about the fans. Creating moments. Building a legacy. That starts with building a foundation. A foundation includes the regular season. It starts well before that.
I’d guess very few players support load management. Maybe someone in Kawhi Leonard’s situation. A big payday awaits him. Just remain healthy until the offseason. Unless he’s truly considering Toronto as a long-term home, then a risk-averse approach suits him. It’s still crappy for the fans.
What makes no sense about load management? Consider a Mar. 18 matchup that featured the New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors. The Raptors, already down Serge Ibaka via suspension, decided to bench Kawhi Leonard for load management. While the Raptors denied their home fans a chance to see Leonard, they knew that they could dominate with little effort against an obviously tanking Knicks team. Yet, the Raptors played a gimpy Kyle Lowry for 26 minutes. Lowry re-aggravated his injury. He missed the next two games.
There’s an awkward trend where teams are overprotective of healthy players. Injured players are often rushed back from injuries. These players end up worsening their injuries. What appeared like a few missed games ends up as two to three months.
Load management is an unethical business practice to its consumers. It de-emphasizes putting the best product on the court. Television ratings are declining. Is it any surprise when it appears as if half the league tanks for Zion Williamson, half the league emphasizes load management to prepare for the postseason, and the Golden State Warriors are perceived as head-and-shoulders above everyone else? If wealthy executives, coaches, and players openly admit disinterest with the regular season, then why should paying fans care?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver must fight load management. The core of the issue centers around grueling travel schedules. An NBA team travels more than 40,000 miles per regular season. They frequent back-to-backs and the dreaded 3-of-4s. Need betting advice? Always check to see if a road team is on a 3-of-4 (third game in four nights). Eastern Conference teams adjust to Pacific Coast trips where games often start around times when they’d theoretically sleep (1030 ET start time equals 730 PT start time). Disrupted circadian rhythms become the dreaded Sixth Man.
Could you imagine an NBA team in London? Yeah…that would never survive.
People often propose a reduced schedule from 82 games to 70. The problem is that fewer games mean less profitability. Expecting a company to reduce profitability isn’t acceptable. Not unless the players are willing to lose money. Not happening. Then you consider the 12 fewer games to accumulate statistics? Players have a lower chance to break records. L’s galore.
What I’d suggest (I’m sure it’s already been suggested, nothing overly complicated): Keep 82 games. Use a format similar to MLB. The Eastern Conference would mostly play against itself. The Western Conference would do the same. Have a few interconference games each season. Try to schedule any ET-to-PT trips (e.g. Lakers vs Celtics) during weekend afternoons.
The concept is not to reduce the amount of games (limiting profit and statistical accumulation); it’s to retain the same amount of games while greatly reducing the amount of miles traveled and jetlag. Eventually, try to add two Western Conference markets—say Seattle and Las Vegas—so the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans can relocate into the Eastern Conference.
The NBA is redefining amazing—not in a good way. If they keep it up, then they’ll redefine something else: the future company slogan.
MAGA: Make (the) Association Great Again.
CHECK OUT MORE
Athletes, Leagues Must Address Fan Misconduct on Social Media, at Live Events
MLB or NFL? Kyler Murray Decision Isn’t Complicated
Le’Veon Bell Made Wise Choice to Sit Out 2018 NFL Season
What Ryan Tannehill Trade Means for Mariota, 2019 Titans
2018 Oakland Raiders: A Lesson Regarding Stockpiling Talent vs Risk
Joshua Huffman was born and edumacated in Middle Tennessee. He has published content for Yahoo! Sports (via Contributor Network) and Titan Sized, among other venues. At SoBros, he’ll provide Daily Fantasy Sports suggestions and broad sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter (although I rarely use it).
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
