Los Angeles Clippers stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have recently been remarked as the ‘faces of load management’ in the NBA. As per ‘Bleacher Report’, in a recent interview with Taylor Rooks, George addressed these remarks, dismissing them as annoying and detrimental to players’ health. In his statement, PG13 further reassured that he and Kawhi Leonard loved playing basketball and were not missing out on games intentionally.
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Paul George’s comments on the Clippers’ load management allegations came almost 72 days after Stephen A. Smith lambasted George and Kawhi Leonard.
SAS alleged that PG and Leonard wasted $121,000,000 on the Clippers despite missing several crucial games last season. However, this season, it seems likely that both George and Leonard will be in good health to lead the team to the playoffs.
Paul George seems annoyed with the ‘load management’ remarks about him and Kawhi Leonard
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have faced severe flak and criticism for missing games, which led them to be remarked as the faces of load management in the league. However, the NBA’s new load management rules might not have any major impact on the Clippers stars despite them being the poster children of such debates.
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have actively spoken about these allegations and the effect of the new rules on their game time. While Kawhi assured the media that his absence from games was legitimate, PG13 was more annoyed to face such remarks coming his way. In an interview with Taylor Rooks, here is what George had to say about being the poster child of load management.
“It’s annoying cause ultimately, we love basketball. You know, we love to play, we love to compete. That’s just how we are, we love to hoop. For people to say that, ‘Oh, they’re not gonna play,’ we don’t intentionally miss games. It’s something that we’re trying to be mindful of and be ahead of. It’s not just players that’s involved on those decisions. It’s medical staff, who have say so in these situations as well. We’re mindful of our bodies. If we haven’t played or not suiting up, there’s something that’s going on that’s keeping us out of the game.”
Paul George responds to people saying he and Kawhi are the face of load management.
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/vpQ9qpM3vq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 9, 2023
It’s very much evident that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are not missing games out of choice. As per Statmuse, the duo have played only 118 games together at the Clippers, spending most of their time on the bench due to injuries.
When these players are at their full health and capacity, they can be legitimate threats to the opponent teams. Hence, it’s quite illogical to question their love for the sport, which clearly translates from their star status and achievements in the league. However, SAS seems to have a different opinion.
Stephen A. Smith once lambasted Paul George and Kawhi Leonard for drawing $121,000,000 from missing games
Stephen A. Smith is one of the most vocal and outright critics of NBA players, with some hot takes and controversial opinions. When Paul George called out the ESPN analyst on his Kawhi Leonard take, SAS did not miss the opportunity to berate PG 13 further.
On his podcast, ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show,’ Smith highlighted how Kawhi Leonard and Paul George drew a combined $121,000,000 just for missing games last season.
However, this season seems to be giving new hope to Clippers fans, given both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George seem healthy to start. Perhaps, the Clippers can now focus more on their regular season run, without worrying about load management breaks any further.
