Finals MVP Reveals How NBA Teams Misinterpreted ‘Load Management’ Started by Gregg Popovich

Andre Iguodala did not hold back against the Spurs and their former HC Gregg Popovich regarding the NBA load management topic lately.

Finals MVP Reveals How NBA Teams Misinterpreted ‘Load Management’ Started by Gregg Popovich

Andre Iguodala and Gregg Popovich (Image By FirstSportz)

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The NBA Board of Governors adopted a new rule in September 2023 that would restrict teams’ ability to take star players off. According to the guideline, no more than one star player may miss a game since healthy players must be available to play in both nationally broadcast and in-season tournament games.

This was to tackle the teams resting their players (also known as load management) to keep them fit for the crucial matchups, leaving fans annoyed. However, where did this all start? Hardcore NBA fans would remember the San Antonio Spurs’ matchup vs the Miami Heat back in 2012.

This is where the start of the NBA load management began. At the time, Spurs HC Gregg Popovich sent his ‘stars’ Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green home to avoid the prime-TV slot, leading to the league fining them. Notably, former NBA player Andre Igoudala recently touched on the load management topic, blaming the Spurs and Popovich in the process.

Load management came from the Spurs…Other teams are looking at analytics and, like, all right, our guys need the rest…Y’all never made the playoffs; you get bounced in the 1st round, you actually, you don’t need load management…You have the narrative that players don’t want to play

Andre Iguodala said
Iguodala: "Load management came from the Spurs…Other teams are looking at analytics and, like, all right, our guys need the rest…Y'all never made the playoffs; you get bounced in the 1st round, you actually, you don't need load management…You have the narrative that players don't want to play"
byu/th31whoknocks innba

Both teams and players believe it’s essential to maintain player health, extend careers, or prepare the squad for the postseason. The disadvantage is that the paying fans might not be able to watch the players they love play on the court.

It is something that has been brought up many times by the fans on social media. Not only fans but former NBA players, like Iguodala, are also not on the same page with this. This rule does sit well with ageing superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

At the same time, these are the exact players fans pay to watch live, leading to controversy within the league. By the looks of it, the league does not seem to make any changes to the rule that was implemented back in 2023.

Not the FIRST time the Spurs were blamed for starting the NBA load management

As per reports and by the former players’ takes on the NBA load management issue, it was the San Antonio Spurs that started it. Gregg Popovich used to rest his players back in the 2010s so that he could prolong their careers.

Even the decorated HC once admitted this. Just like Andre Iguodala, this also did not sit well with NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, who had a go at the Spurs and Popovich.

Just like we give Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs all the credit and they just do for creating a hell of an organization, setting the standard for around the league and things to that nature and building culture. But they’re responsible for this. They’re the ones that started this.

Kendrick Perkins said on the NBA on ESPN show
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich (Credits: X))

In addition, during the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed load management and said that the players’ union was still in the process of discussing it. It remains to be seen if the league provides any new update on this ongoing rule that got implemented in 2023 or will stick with it as it is.

Adam Silver made his opinions clear regarding the NBA load management back in 2023

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was not fooling around back in 2023 regarding the teams’ overuse of resting their star players to keep them fit for the whole season. He and the league quickly implemented a rule to restrict teams from resting players easily. In addition, Silver also shared his opinions regarding his matter.

This is ultimately about the fans. And that we’ve taken this [load management] too far. This is an acknowledgment that it has gotten away from us a bit.”That doesn’t mean we were turning the clock back, that players are expected to play through injuries or that players never need rest. But there’s a statement of a principle in this league that, if you’re a healthy player, you’re going to play.

Adam Silver spoke about Load Management

According to Silver, “everyone in the league,” including owners, coaches, management, the National Basketball Players Association, and individual players, worked to implement the new Player Participation Policy. Additionally, it was developed with NBA media license holders and ticket buyers in mind, providing them with a more dependable product and reducing any “caveat emptor” issues.

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