Load management has been an often discussed topic around the NBA in recent years. Injuries have unfortunately continued to occur on a consistent basis, so teams are hopeful that extra rest will give their stars a chance to remain healthy. However, Miami Heat star big man Bam Adebayo isn't a fan of load management. Adebayo recently shared his feelings on the matter, and ultimately called out NBA players while citing Kobe Bryant as his inspiration.
“That (load management) kind of bothers me in a sense,” Adebayo said, per Playmaker, via NBA Central. “You have a lot of kids and parents who want to see you play. You have kids who probably come from the inner-city and their parents make a way to put them all the way up in the stands, and then for you to find out you're not playing. It's because you feel like, ‘I gotta load manage to be ready for this, that, and the third.'
“I remember as a kid, I would have gave my last dollar and my foot to go see Kobe Bryant play. I know if I felt like that, it's a lot of other kids that feel like that. For me, I feel like that's the least quality that I don't like about players in this league.
Bam Adebayo's take on load management
Bam Adebayo clearly doesn't like load management. He didn't hold back, calling it a “quality” that he doesn't “like about players in this league.”
There are many players around the league who certainly will miss some games for rest-related reasons. Other stars, however, have been vocal in their refusal to load manage, such as Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
The NBA has recently incentivized players/teams to limit load management by increasing the necessary number of games played to win awards. Perhaps we will see stars on the court more often during the 2023-24 season. One thing we know for sure is that Bam Adebayo will play in as many games as possible as long as he's healthy.