ESPN published a story this week about sleep deprivation within the NBA. Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens says it's something that's just part of the life of an athlete.
Players often get into a city around 1 a.m. By the time they get into their hotel rooms, it's already around two in the morning.
With back-to-backs, players aren't getting the proper 8-10 hours of sleep they need to be their best selves once the game starts. Stevens says the Celtics as an organization are cognizant of sleep deprivation.
“I think we live it,” Stevens said, via Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com. “I think that’s just part of it. I think it takes a real corporate desire to manage it and then to make sure that you schedule appropriately, especially with practice times, shootaround times, walk-through at hotel, all that stuff. And then there’s an individual onus that each player, coach, support staff member has to take to make sure they maximize their sleep to the best of their ability.”
Limiting back-to-backs would be the easiest way to fix this issue. A decrease in the 82-game schedule could also help with sleep deprivation.
The life of an NBA player is great because of the money the players make and the lifestyle they get to live. However, it's clear sleep deprivation — among other things — is an issue players are taking notice of.
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