The GOAT Has Spoken: Michael Jordan Takes a Flamethrower to Load Management
In a world where “load management” has become as common in the NBA as a traveling call nobody understands, Michael Jordan just dropped in from the top rope. In a recent interview, the man who is arguably the living embodiment of basketball itself didn’t just criticize the practice of players sitting out games for rest—he took a flamethrower to the very idea.
Sitting down with NBC’s Mike Tirico, Jordan was asked what he thought about the modern trend of resting healthy players. His response was pure, uncut MJ. “Well, it shouldn’t be needed, first and foremost,” he said. Jordan’s argument wasn’t about analytics or sports science; it was about something far more primal, something that feels lost in today’s game: a sense of duty to the fans.
Jordan On Playing For the Fans
For Jordan, every single game was a performance. It was a chance to prove himself, not just to his opponents, but to every single person in the arena. “I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove,” he said. “I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket.”
Let that sink in. He wasn’t just playing for the rings or the glory; he was playing for the fan in the nosebleeds who saved up for months to see him play. He even wanted to shut up the guy screaming insults from the cheap seats. It’s that old-school, gladiatorial mindset. You step into the arena, you perform. No excuses.
It’s a stark contrast to the current landscape, where star players often sit out high-profile national TV games, leaving fans who paid a premium to watch their heroes… watch them sit on the bench in a very expensive tracksuit.
The Legendary “Flu Game”
Of course, you can’t talk about Jordan and playing through adversity without mentioning the legendary “Flu Game.” It was Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan, suffering from what he believes was food poisoning, was so sick he could barely stand. He looked like a ghost. Anyone else would have been hooked up to an IV, tweeting their apologies to the fans.
What did Jordan do? He gutted it out. “I was going to find a way to get out there, even if I was a decoy,” he said. He ended up being a bit more than a decoy, scoring 38 points and leading the Bulls to a pivotal victory before collapsing into Scottie Pippen’s arms. It’s a moment so iconic, so fundamentally Jordan, that it perfectly encapsulates his entire philosophy. He pushed himself beyond known limits because the team, the city, and the fans needed him to.
Is Jordan’s View Outdated?
Now, the defenders of load management have a point. The game is faster now, they say. There’s more science involved. Stephen Curry once mentioned that it’s often the training staff, not the players, making the call. They’re trying to preserve careers and ensure guys are healthy for the playoffs.
But something tells me that if a team doctor told Michael Jordan he should sit out a game to rest, he would have laughed in his face, put on his uniform, and dropped 50 just to prove a point. That’s the difference. For Jordan, it was never just a job; it was a calling. And when the GOAT speaks, you have to wonder if the league has lost a little bit of that fire.
