NBA

Charles Barkley rips players who load manage: ‘They fly private…they got the best medical stuff ever created’

Published by
Jonathan Sherman

Over the last few seasons, load management has remained a very hot topic amongst NBA pundits and fans. The latest voice to come out in opposition of load management is former NBA star and current analyst Charles Barkley.

“In this next TV negotiate deal, we gonna have guys making $70, $80 million a year,” he said. “And they gonna be saying, ‘Wait a minute, you gonna make $70 million, and you can’t play basketball three or four days a week?’ … They fly private. They got the best medical stuff ever created. … People working in the steel mill every day, I’m pretty sure they tired too, but they go to work every day.”

The fact of the matter is that the conversation around load management will likely continue as long as players keep engaging in it. It doesn’t figure to end anytime soon. After all, the primary goal of load management seems to be to allow star players to rest their bodies in preparation for the playoffs.

Still, there is no doubt that load management as it currently exists is a really imperfect concept. For fans, it can be really hard to accept that a player will sit out a game when there is no clear injury or circumstance to blame.

It’s frustrating enough to tune into a game at home to find out that a star player is sitting out. It is, of course, even more frustrating for fans that are in attendance.

It will be interesting to see if the league makes any sweeping rules about load management in the coming years, but it seems clear that star players will always have a certain say in how much they play.

After all, the NBA — just like many other professional sports leagues — is a star-driven affair. For that reason, stars are always going to have a say in how they want to carry out their careers.

So, while Barkley and other analysts may have an issue with load management as it currently exists, it doesn’t seem as though the practice is going to go anywhere in the near future. It will be an important topic to monitor as the NBA continues to evolve.

Jonathan Sherman

Jonathan has worked as a sports writer covering NBA and NFL news since 2017. He's a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Vikings.

Published by
Jonathan Sherman

Recent Posts

‘Wtf’: Trae Young reacts to Rashad McCants saying he could score 81 points like Kobe Bryant

Back in January of 2006, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant put on one…

4 hours ago

Rashad McCants says he could’ve won ROTY but had a coach who was ‘shaking in the motherf——g huddle’

Former NBA guard Rashad McCants was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the last lottery…

4 hours ago

Chandler Parsons says Jaylen Brown would be best player on over half of NBA teams, including some playoff teams

The Boston Celtics were without maybe their top player for Wednesday's Game 2 versus the…

4 hours ago

‘Spo gonna Spo’: Cavs player gives Erik Spoelstra his flowers after Heat’s near-upset in Game 2

The odds were stacked against the Miami Heat to pick up a win in Game…

5 hours ago

Report: Will Campbell landing with Patriots may depend on whether team gets ‘fair deal’ to trade down

As a consolation prize for a woeful 2024 season that was marred by losing, the…

5 hours ago

Report: ‘Most of the league’ has been contacted about Jalen Ramsey, including Rams, Lions and Eagles

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is one of the more notable players in the league…

5 hours ago