Photo By Tess DeMeyer and Sam Amick Jan 31, 2024
It was November 2012, the NBA was beginning to get in swing, we had the last years Western Conference Finalist, San Antonio Spurs traveling to South Beach to battle the reigning defending champions Miami Heat. The game was primed for national television on a Thursday night, airing on TNT, of course highlighting star players Tim Duncan, Lebron James, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Dwayne Wade and more. The thing is, there was no Duncan, Parker, or Ginobili.
The Spurs were wrapping up a long road trip, 4th game in 5 nights, so Greg Popovich the Hall of Fame coach, sent 4 starters home on a commercial flight. Yes, his stars were old and were finishing up a long road trip, but what about the fans? Spurs only travel to Miami once a year, think about the Spurs fan that may have been saving their coins to get this one chance to see their favorite players.
Every time something like this happens in the league now, I think about the words of Vanessa Bryant speaking on her late great husband Kobe Bryant, how he would play through injuries because he valued the NBA fan as he once was. Everyone is not the legend Kobe Bean Bryant but, we’re not asking for players to play through injuries, were just tired of the load management.
If you’re going to rest players at least have the decency to do it at home where you have 41 games. In no means am I blaming Pop, this is just to pinpoint where it became acceptable and ok to rest players when you feel like it.
This article is sparked by recent Draymond Green and Tyrese Haliburton’s comment on the new rule that is being put in place for the first time this year. The rule states that there is a minimum number of games played requirement for end-of-season awards and All-NBA honors. The 65-game rule calls for players to meet one of the following criteria (via ESPN):
The player played in at least 65 regular season games.
The player played in at least 62 regular-season games, suffered a season-ending injury and played in at least 85% of the regular-season games played by his team prior to the player suffering said injury.
"I think it's a stupid rule, like plenty of the guys in the league, but this is what the owners want, so as players, we gotta do our job and play in 65 games if we're able to," Haliburton said.
I would say to Tyrese that this a rule that the players association agreed on in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Haliburton suffered a freak hamstring injury some weeks ago and can only miss 4 more games to remain eligible for All – NBA to earn an extra $40 million over the life of his contract. I respectfully don’t care if Haliburton gets that money, he is already financially set in life, but if he misses the threshold by a few games due to serious injury, but still performed at an All-NBA level, then a conversation will need to be had.
Draymond went on his podcast to speak on the new rule a few days ago calling the rule BS. Draymond made good points speaking on former players who made all NBA teams and received individual awards after not playing 65 games. Stating he lost a DPOTY award to Kawhi who played 51 games, it was 64.
Draymond goes on to speak about what recently happened to Joel Embiid, Embiid injured his knee Tuesday night vs the Warriors with Kuminga accidentally falling on his leg while on the ground. Draymond implies that Joel and Haliburton may have been forcing it because they saw their number of missed games start to creep up.
What Green did not speak to is the number of players that have missed games due to rest and load management over the years that caused this. How the ratings have dropped for the league and TV partners have taking a disliking to it, oh, they also play a role in NBA players continuing to get paid millions.
Like stated earlier the NBA and fans are not asking players to be Kobe Bryant, playing through injuries and what not. We don’t want to see reigning MVPs like Joel force it like Green suggested just to meet the requirements. It is to be noted that Embiid has had an injury riddled career already only playing 60+ games 4 times, 65+ twice in his 7 seasons played. I am all for the rule, but the end of season awards will tell it all. The NBA and the world will see if there are deserving players held out of certain awards and recognition for missing the mark by a few games and I’m sure that there will be uproar, time will tell. In the meantime, I believe playing at least 80 percent of NBA games is a fair bargain.
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