"Nobody Is Telling Me I'm Not Playing" - Carmelo Anthony Rips Current Generation Echoing Michael Jordan's Load Management Takedown

Once again, load management has been a controversial subject among NBA fans.

Stars continue to miss games, even this early in the season, to allegedly preserve their bodies for the playoffs.

That strategy has yet to work for a championship-winning team, and it's only hurting the showmanship and the fans.

That's why New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony didn't want anything to do with that. In the latest edition of his "7 PM in Brooklym" show, the Hall of Famer admitted that he was never going to let anyone keep him off the court, even when he was hurt:

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"Man, f*ck that, nobody's telling me I'm not playing," Anthony said (Timestamp: 2:42). "I'm playing through this because I'm built from a different cloth, I want to play. Nobody's telling me I can't play."

Michael Jordan rips load management

Clearly, Michael Jordan signed Anthony to his brand for much more than just his offensive talents.

As shown in an interview with Mike Tirico aired on NBC, the Chicago Bulls legend feels the same way as Anthony about load management. More than that, he doesn't even think the players need it:

"Well, it shouldn't be needed, first and foremost," Jordan said. "You know, I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt like the fans are there that watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his [butt] off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket."

When asked whether he also wanted to play for the home fans when he was on the road, the legendary shooting guard smiled and doubled down on his take. If anything, he's more eager to play on the road and spoil their party:

"Yeah, because I know he's probably yelling at me and I want to shut him up," Jordan added. "You know, he's calling me all kinds of names. I definitely want to shut him up. ... You have a duty that if they're wanting to see you, and as an entertainer, I want to show. Right?"

Jordan added that players train or play for two to three hours a day, so they have 21 hours to either get some rest, get better, or do whatever they want to do.

And as much as someone may want to argue with that logic, players used to play for 15+ years back in the day despite playing in more back-to-backs and not flying in private jets like they do nowadays.

Edited by Ernesto Cova