Charles Barkley comes from an era where players took pride in not missing a single game. The concept of load management hadn’t become a widespread tactic to preserve a superstar’s health for the postseason as it is today. While some players did take a couple games a year as rest days, they would do so if they had at least a minor injury to them.
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Fast-forward to present day and load management has become quite a problem for the league. Fans pay thousands of dollars on occasion to watch their favorite player take to NBA hardwood only to find out that he won’t be suiting up for the night because the game isn’t all too important for the team at that stage of the season.
Chuck clearly doesn’t like this new wave that has come onto the league and took to First Take to address the issue.
Charles Barkley calls out athletes who take rest days
Charles Barkley took to ESPN’s First Take to hit on a variety of topics. One such was the rampant spread of superstars taking rest days to help rejuvenate their bodies for more important games down the road. According to Chuck, this shouldn’t ever be the case.
“Wait a minute. You’re gonna make $70 million and you can’t play basketball 3 or 4 days a week? They fly private. They got the best medical staff ever created. people working in the steel mill every day, I’m pretty sure they’re tired too. But they go,” said Barkley.
Charles Barkley weighs in on load management in the NBA:
“You can’t make $30, $40, $50 million and then sit out games. I think it’s disrespectful to the game, I think it’s disrespectful to the fans.” pic.twitter.com/WLFTnhRCV7
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 27, 2023
While it should be unacceptable for players to take rest days when they’re healthy, a bit of the blame can be put on the way the world is starting to perceive success in the NBA. Fans across the world are beginning to idolize players who have won championships, putting that one achievement leaps and bounds ahead of any other achievement in the league.
This may be causing players to save their bodies up for a grueling postseason as they know that the respect they demand will come from making it through the Playoffs and winning the NBA Finals.
Charles Barkley has always hated load management
Charles Barkley isn’t one to shy away from speaking his mind and he did just that when talking about how owners will soon have to step in to make their players play. “I think it’s going to be very interesting in the next CBA because billionaires always win against millionaires,” said Chuck.
“It’s embarrassing for the league. I can’t wait for the owners to put their foot in their a**es in the next CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).” Clearly, Barkley wants to see superstars play and live up to the hundreds of millions they earn.
