Andre Iguodala( AP Photo/David Zarubowski)
Four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala says the league shouldn’t reduce its 82-game regular-season schedule.
Iguodala argued that Friday was in
Point Forward
Podcast (via Lee Tran of Fadeaway World) Being able to survive an entire season of ordeal is basketball at its highest level Part of the challenge between players:
“We’re going to keep playing 82 games until 3005. We can’t change 82 games. 82 games…it has a psychological side. That’s why we talk about the rookie wall. Records are made to be broken, and over time we’ll get better and we’ll break more Multiple records. But I do think all sports have a foundation and you have to carry on that tradition… 82 games, and I think you know it separates the men from the boys.”
The 2015 NBA Finals MVP refers to Utah Jazz legend John Stockton, who has played all 82 games in the season, as an example of what the criteria should be:
“Our league’s Bottom is the bare bar NBA players lower the minimum. I think that needs to change, that’s part of the mental side of it. We’re getting younger and younger, but we have grown men playing in the league. I mean, John Stockton missed 15 games in 20 years.”
This The phrase “load management” has almost become synonymous with the NBA. Players rest and recover regularly throughout the regular season.
On the one hand, it’s hard to blame players for trying to reduce injury risk and trying to stay as long as possible in the playoffs Close to 100%, and if a team goes further, there could be an additional 20-plus games in the playoffs.However, when the sport’s biggest names drop out of the lineup for non-injury reasons, the experience takes a serious hit, especially When it comes to road racing, opposing fans may only get to see players in person once a season.
In July, NBA commissioner Adam Silver jokingly accused San Antonio Spurs CEO RC Buford of creating a load Managing trends, as part of a more serious comment on this issue:
Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on load management: “Frankly, there’s nothing more frustrating for our fans than having a player rest on some schedule without getting hurt. I’m watching [Spurs exec] RC [Buford] ], you started it all.” pic.twitter.com/AJTyHs4PX4
In December, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on discussions between the NBA and the Players Association to bring the regular season The schedule is reduced to 78 games, but an intra-season tournament similar to European football is added.
While it will moderately shorten the actual activity, it is not clear if it will have any impact on the topic of load management .Reducing the length of the schedule since 1967-68 will also have an impact on all records from 82 games.
Ultimately, while Iguodala hopes tradition will ultimately prevail, it appears that change is coming.
