Michael Jordan weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers decision to rest star Kawhi Leonard for certain games in a NBA trend called “load management”.
The NBA season is still young, and Leonard has missed 6 or 7 games to decrease risk of injuries. But Clippers fans feel cheated and are yelling foul.
Well-respected sports announcer and NBA analyst Doris Burke criticized Leonard for sitting out a recent game against the Milwaukee Bucks and the league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at the Staples Center.
“It is mind-boggling to me that Kawhi doesn’t want to play against the reigning MVP and he’d rather play against Portland tomorrow night on TNT,” Burke said. “Kawhi not playing is ridiculous at this point.”
Leonard seems unfazed by the criticism. But when Michael Jordan speaks, everyone listens.
The NBA legend and owner of the Charlotte Hornets is making sure his own players don’t get the wrong idea about the work ethic that is expected of them.
According to Steve Clifford, current Orlando Magic coach and former head coach of the Hornets, Jordan addressed the issue of load management in team meetings.
“Being with Michael in Charlotte, Michael used to tell them every year, you’re paid to play 82 games.”
Clifford added that lazy players stood out from the rest: “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and playing 82 games used to be a badge of courage for a lot of guys. There were always a lot of guys who didn’t want to play. They stood out more.”
