NBA Legend Condemns Current Players for Needing "Load Management"

Over the last few years, it seems like there has been a growing resentment between the old NBA players and the current players in the league. Many people will point to the vast gap in earnings between the old NBA generations and today’s players, but that’s not the only reason for sourness. Many of the NBA alumni think that the players in the league today are soft and entitled.

NBA legend Robert Parish is one of those players. Parish, who recently had his games played record overtaken by LeBron James, spoke out on the current NBA trend of “load management”.

"I have a message for the players: ‘Get in better shape.’ You don’t need load management or time management, whatever you want to call it. You don’t need that. If I have my facts accurate, they train less in training camp. They have one-a-days instead of two-a-days. In practices, they don’t practice every day. They practice less. If I were to attend an NBA practice today, it would remind me of a spa. You’re going in to get iced down and get massages. You’re in the jacuzzi, the steam room, and the sauna. They have everything available to the players today. I don’t think you can get a manicure and a pedicure (laughs). But training camp shouldn’t look like that. Training camp and practices should be all serious business."

Parish is right that today’s players practice less and have a lot more leisure than the days of old. That being said, we’ve also seen the effects on the bodies of the players who played in the past. Players are having longer careers now, and they are finishing their careers with their bodies intact.

So maybe “load management” does take away from the NBA product on a day-to-day basis, but getting to see guys like LeBron James play quality basketball into their 40s makes it all worth it.