Michael Jordan Reveals the First Time He Dodged Load Management in His NBA Career With Crucial POV 

Michael Jordan recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate about load management in today’s NBA. In an interview with NBA on NBC, the six-time champion made it clear that he doesn’t support the idea.

To make his point, he brought up one of the most memorable moments of his career, the iconic “flu game” during the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan said that the idea of not helping his teammates never made sense to him.

“I always felt that. I always felt the necessary need that I could never leave my comrades out if I could perform. Even if I couldn't,” Jordan said. “Utah, great example. Game five, which is a very pivotal game. I was going to find a way to get out there, even if I was a decoy. Well, once I got out there, you never know how you're pushing yourself. You never know what happens. Next thing you know, the emotions, the situation, the need of the team, you know, all those things catapulted me to. I'm gonna get this thing out.”

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Even though he was unwell, Michael Jordan played through it and put on a remarkable performance in Game 5. He stuffed the stat sheet with 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. His effort helped the Chicago Bulls secure a 90-88 win over the Utah Jazz, giving them a 3-2 series lead.

Eventually, the Bulls went on to win Game 6 by a score of 90-86, capturing their second consecutive NBA title. Michael Jordan, expectedly, lifted the Finals MVP.

Michael Jordan lists three reasons why he would never endorse load management

Michael Jordan criticized players who sit out games, citing load management. He questioned what those players do for the rest of the day and reminded them that playing basketball is their job, not sitting on the sidelines.

He went on to list three reasons he could never support load management. Apart from respecting the fans who pay to see you play, he believed that playing games allowed him to stay in shape and keep the team’s rhythm intact.

“But you should think about that in retrospect of what load management really is,” Jordan said. “I always felt like the one is a sense of pride for the fans that are paying. Two is a sense of, you know, making sure that I stay sharp. You know, I'm not going to lose it. And three, I want our rhythm as a team to always be there. It can disrupt that synergy that's happening.”

In recent years, fewer players have been sitting out games because of load management. The NBA’s rule that players must appear in at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for personal accolades has led to more consistent participation, particularly from star players.

Edited by Advait Jajodia