Michael Jordan is gracing the public with his voice and hoops analysis more frequently now that he’s a “special correspondent” for NBC’s NBA package, part of the company’s new 12-year, $27B TV deal with the league.
Michael Jordan Addresses Negative Consequences Of Load Management
Jordan, who played all 82 games nine times in his 15-year career, spoke on the way load management has taken over the NBA and allowed players who make $40M per season while sitting out games, cheat fans and extending their careers to be able to make more money. We know that the players from MJ’s era played within a different culture; from the kinds of players that comprise the league to the style of play to the way today’s current players seem to lack any dedication to the fans, just the dollar bills.
LeBron James has been criticized for his load management, so has Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and many of the aging greats of this current era. Some believe that Bron fakes injuries in order to preserve his body and be able to meet the 65-game minimum without risking injury.
A video of Jordan’s response was posted on X by @ApexJones with a caption that read:
“As we all knew he would, the GOAT spoke about the obligation to fans and teammates that seems lost on some modern divas like LeBron, who before Adam Silver put a 65-game minimum on qualification for post-season awards (which mean everything to LeBron), who was faking injuries and missing 26-27 games a season, and is currently out with yet another fake injury.”
Jordan, who went 6-0 in NBA Finals competition said:
“There’s no way I can sit. I need to get out there and show what I’m capable of doing. I want to play. I want to win. I want to make an impact. If I twist my ankle. I taped it up. I went back out and I played. I always felt the necessary need that I could never leave my comrades out if I could perform.
You play basketball 2.5-3 hours a day. That’s your job. That’s what you get paid to do as an NBA player. What are you doing the other 21 hours? One is a sense of pride for the fans that are paying. Two is to make sure I stay sharp. I’m not going to lose it and three I want our rhythm as a team to always be there. It could disrupt that synergy that’s happening.”
Did LeBron James Sacrifice Championships, Use Load Management To Prolong Career?
To be fair, Lebron James was an iron man through the first 15 years of his career and then staretd load managing during his second stint in Cleveland. He got to the Lakers and many people feel he started abusing the situation as he chased Kareem’s all-time scoring mark, only playing more than 70 games once in seven seasons. Starting this season the bench with sciatica, after opting in for $52.6 million.
It may have seemed like the NBA was on Jordan overload when he was breaking records, beating challengers and elevating the game to new heights with his Nike apparel, commercials and dominance. But Jordan was never too self-indulgent. His glory came from winning, not the $50M balloon payment he got towards the end of his career or the fanfare and worship. The money, the fame, never made him lazy, ungrateful, delusional or complacent. There’s very few stars you can say that about anymore.
The superstars of today are individuals who play on teams. Jordan was the best player on the planet but his hunger for the game and understanding of what he owed the game and fans was no different than the last guy on the bench. Neither was his desire, commitment to his teammates and his humility when it came to showing up every game.
Fans React To Michael Jordan’s Opinion On Load Management
Of course, Jordan’s “old school” approach to being great got the new age LeBron fans in an uproar, with some pointing to various statistics to boost their candidate and downplay the other.
”Jordan missed more games in his 15 years than LeBron in his first 15 seasons,” noted one fan.
That notion was disputed as the person who posted original video of Jordan, responded:
“Jordan played in around 93% of his career possible games even with the two big injury seasons. LeBron has played in 88% of his career possible games. Jordan played all 82 games 9x in 15 seasons (60% of his career) including at age 40 on one leg.”
The battle went back and forth, with Gen Z and pro-LeBron fans fighting for his legacy with every finger push. All the while missing Jordan’s actual point about being present everyday and leading by example.
MJ Says Load Management Hurts Team Chemistry
One great point Jordan made had to do with chemistry. It’s something that has been taken for granted ever since LeBron James started team hopping and doing total reconstructions midseason. It’s also something that has been overlooked now that players switch teams often. Developing chemistry requires players being on the court together. Too many superstars sit out for extended periods of time to strategically preserve their body. Jordan approached each game like you can’t get the moment back and he always led by example. Criticizing his teammates was something he could easily do if he wanted to because he played every game, he didn’t ask for special treatment and never threw his guys under the bus. Even though he was driven by ego like all stars, he also managed egos (Dennis Rodman) and sensitivities from his sidekick (Pippen).
If you can’t see the difference between the NBA back then and now and the mentality of current superstars making more money than GOD, then you’re missing Jordan’s point completely. LeBron James generation fans always get their panties in a bunch when the greatness of Michael Jordan is celebrated. Or people point out the differences between how MJ did it back then and how King James does his thing now. LeBron can certainly show us all how to beat the game, but if you listen to Jordan speak about what drove him, he still IS the game.
