‘NBA only listens to LeBron James’: Popular analyst slams Lakers star for forcing NBA to push December 22 start

Samir Mehdi | 05/11/2020
NBA only listens to LeBron James'

Ryen Russillo says NBA superstars such as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard don’t want to play too many games due to ‘load management’.

The phrase ‘load management’ has become very popular these past few seasons. The phrase was popularized by Kawhi Leonard when he was on the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 season.

Load management in essence, is a player not hitting the floor for a regular season game, to rest up their body. This is done for a multitude of reasons.

Also Read: ‘LeBron James won’t play first month of next season’: Danny Green on why Lakers star will sit out start of new season

It could be because the game is not nationally televised, or due to the opposing team not being a strong one. The main agenda behind load management is to keep star players on contending teams healthy for when the Playoffs come around.

Ryen Russilo slams the league for becoming LeBron James’ voice

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the schedule for this upcoming NBA season has been up in the air. The NBA wants to start the season this December 22nd, to help save the league around a billion dollars in potential losses.

LeBron James and other superstars around the league have stated they will not be present for the start of the 2020-21 season, if it does commence late December.

Ryen Russillo, on the Bill Simmons podcast, took shots at these players refusing to suit up. He said, “Most recent NBA culture is a culture of not wanting to play many games. Regular season deemphasized, load management.”

He then urged other players to speak up, saying, “I would like to hear from more players because the league has become LeBron’s voice. There are 100s of players who haven’t played in 7 months.”

Should the players suit up on December 22nd?

This varies from player to player. Like Russillo said, players, even superstars such as Steph Curry haven’t played since March. Those players should have no problem with a late December start.

Also Read: ‘LeBron James spends $1 million/year on just body and mind recovery’: How Lakers star remains injury free at 35

However, players such as LeBron James, AD, Jimmy Butler, etc. who have played till mid October, perhaps need more time to rest up their bodies.

One thing Russillo did get right is that players who feel differently from LeBron need to voice their own opinions.

Post Edited By: Utkarsh Bhatla
Kawhi Leonard LeBron James

About the author

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Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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