Discussion
Sometimes players need rest! – Keyshawn Johnson on NBA’s issues with load management | First Take
Sometimes players need rest! – Keyshawn Johnson on NBA’s issues with load management | First Take The First Take crew debate whether the NBA needs to incentivize players to play. #FirstTake #NBA ☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: 📱Get the ESPN App: 🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: ☑️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: ☑️Watch ESPN…
dramaskrybe
July 14, 2022 at 12:08 pm
I was under the impression that players were incentized to play via multimillion dollar contracts. Am I wrong?
Kxng Unkasa
July 14, 2022 at 1:07 pm
You are indeed wrong any salary they get is base pay based on worth… It’s not a contract saying you’re gonna or have to play all games.. So if you want to motivate or Incentivize them to… Give them more money… Us regular folks like to make it seem like they are overpaid when we can’t do what they can or generate as much money for the NBA as they can and do.
bangwithcamino
July 14, 2022 at 1:14 pm
@Elijah Thomas What?! Why do you think the coaches give them rest?! It is because they will need it. Why do you think careers last longer these days?! It is all tied together. Players need rest to maintain peak performance. That is a human condition.
Bruh Wtf
July 14, 2022 at 1:58 pm
They’re underpaid😔 Poor babies.
reggie hopkins jr.
July 14, 2022 at 2:37 pm
Very wrong. Thats the base salary
dramaskrybe
July 14, 2022 at 4:52 pm
@reggie hopkins jr. 😂Amazing. And, it’s not implied that the base salary for basketball players is contingent upon their ability, including their availability, to play basketball?
Shak
July 14, 2022 at 12:08 pm
This coming from a guy’s who played football (one of the most physical games) is crazy to me. They really shouldn’t be talking basketball at all.
Peter Brothers
July 14, 2022 at 1:15 pm
If he played football wouldn’t he have a better idea of the human body needing rest? Flawed logic
Shak
July 14, 2022 at 1:19 pm
@Peter Brothers the fact that he’s a former football player disqualifies him all together. Basketball is nowhere as physical. It’s a finesse sport and you know that. These guys can play 72-79 games when healthy.
Marinko Marinko
July 14, 2022 at 12:10 pm
ESPN on crutches without SAS
O N
July 14, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Blame Greg Pop for this problem he started it & created the monster that is Kawhi
O N
July 14, 2022 at 6:12 pm
@S all That & still dont belong in the same state as Giannis.
S
July 14, 2022 at 6:16 pm
@O N Well, Giannis don’t have knee, back, tooth, car problems so it’s not a good comparison. Let’s wait until he does.
O N
July 14, 2022 at 6:21 pm
@S bro kewe doesnt play…he is the load management poster boy. Him & kyrie competing form missed game award
S
July 14, 2022 at 6:32 pm
@O N You are not wrong about him not playing all the games he can play. I’m mentioning that, even without playing so little, Kawhi accomplished a lot more than most of the players in the NBA. That says something. That applies to Kyrie also as he’s a multiple time all-star and a NBA champ with $$$ made in his career. You hate to see them not playing but it is what it is.
O N
July 14, 2022 at 6:41 pm
@S hate? Lmao them dudes can do what they want but we gunna call it what it is.
M Safrons
July 14, 2022 at 12:13 pm
The poor babies need a rest? paid millions to play a game, retire by 40 and live comfortable without needing to work again for the rest of their lives. the single mom working 2 jobs needs rest. This is a joke.
hihaters2004
July 14, 2022 at 12:42 pm
^
bangwithcamino
July 14, 2022 at 12:45 pm
So because someone else needs rest, no one else can have it? Rest is only for single moms with 2 jobs? What about the moms with 1 job, can they rest? The physical demands of being a pro athlete require rest, stop whining about it.
Mark Dell
July 14, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Common keyshawn Johnson L
Roger Affonso
July 14, 2022 at 12:17 pm
OMG… players today are so spoiled, if they are healthy, they should play… we live in a society where we are walking on egg shells all the time… the take of I can not drop the kids to camp because I have to be here in First Take, OMG reality check, it happens every day to millions of people, if people dont show up for work, they dont get pay… Players should get pay based on regular season and their performance, Play off performance Results should be their bonus every year.
MakeDredd2
July 14, 2022 at 12:18 pm
I’ve been waiting to see Kyrie play 5 consecutive regular season games since 2019.
– A pawn ♟
Denton Young
July 14, 2022 at 12:22 pm
I don’t expect players to play all 82 games, but (barring injury) 70 is reasonable to expect. I don’t think Mr Silver is calling out players who take a game off here or there. What he’s doing is calling out the Kyrie Irving types who randomly take 3 weeks off, or Ben Simmonses who get pissy and suddenly refuse to play at all because they’re not “mentally ready”.
zType
July 14, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Agreed, but also teams need to be called out for resting players to “save their investment”
Frank Jones
July 17, 2022 at 11:05 am
70-75 is reasonable
300
July 14, 2022 at 12:36 pm
The fans play money to see the best players perform! As much as they get paid I don’t see why they shouldn’t play unless their seriously injured!
I be pissed buying a ticket to find out the star sat out for rest!
Brother Nature
July 14, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Flowered blouse is a Man
zType
July 14, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Players today are playing less minutes each game, not playing back to backs, not playing through small injuries… players aren’t getting injured more, players are just not playing through any injuries, no matter the severity. All while getting paid 10x the amount of former players that’d play 82 games a season. Adam Silver is too player-oriented and babies the players, and gives them too much control.
Nick George
July 14, 2022 at 12:46 pm
The millions of dollars isn’t enough?
Mike Robinson
July 14, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Foxworth is an idiot..you need to incentivise players to play 82 games..funny noone back in the 80s had to be incentivised to. 5 guys played all 82 this year to me thats pathetic. You want to use incentives fine..make their contract based on games played. I bet you’d see more guys playing 82 games and taking less and less rest days.
Kxng Unkasa
July 14, 2022 at 1:10 pm
This is what happens when ppl who never paid sports run a league.. If they understood what players go thru this wouldn’t even be a topic… Actually said it would, cause money may even change players that understand lol
Geoff Head
July 14, 2022 at 1:22 pm
If I pay $500 for a ticket to an NBA game and the star player decides he needs to rest, I should get my money back. They need to play. If there is an issue with playing 82 games, shorten the season. If that shortens the pay, so be it.
JACKOTACO
July 14, 2022 at 1:28 pm
I remember when Michael Jordan said something in the lines of “I try to play all 82 games because there is somebody out there who saved their money to see me play.” This was during the time when the nutrition, doctors and travel were not at his zenith. It simply is not fair for the fans who pay for tickets to see certain players who decide to sit it out because they have an ouchie or their pinky hurts.
These players nowadays are far too entitled. The new CBA should also include Play to(Get) Pay. These full on guaranteed contracts need to go out of the window. The owners need to shift the rules in lines of the NFL.
The Highlight Factory
July 14, 2022 at 5:58 pm
@JACKOTACO Durant did it that way and his legacy is hurt. You guys aren’t great at looking at things from a different perspective. You choose one ill minded player and say every other player who does that thinks like him. When kawhi was asking for rest because he knew his body no one believed him until he came back and got injured again. Then everyone shut up. The game has changed, maybe this means the setup needs to change. The amount of games now compared to then are the same but now there’s more running and jumping and a play in. Maybe they need to shorten the season but they don’t want to do that because the people sitting on their but want to keep the same amount of money that comes with an 82 game season. There is more to this than what you state
The Highlight Factory
July 14, 2022 at 5:59 pm
@JACKOTACO Everything is always put onto the players
bangwithcamino
July 14, 2022 at 5:59 pm
@JACKOTACO How long is a person a fan of a team and how long will a player play? The point is there is always going to be somebody at the game for a player to watch…..for decades. Life isn’t fair and we don’t always get what we want. A player prioritizing what’s best for them over a fan, is understandable.
Based on your scenario of coming to town once a year – why would a player prioritize playing an away game, where 99% of the people are not there to support them, over playing that same team in front of THEIR fans?! Players will pick their fanbase over the potential of 4 kids wanting to see them. Multiply that by every non-conference away game. Somebody is going to miss the game regardless. It is basic math.
Should players ONLY miss home games? You act like THEIR fans didn’t save money to see their favorite player 1 time in their entire lives. Your argument is one-sided. The same can be said for everyone since every fan is not a season ticket holder and can not afford to go to any game they want. There’s nothing moral or ethical about it.
Fans have entitlement issues and think they are owed something. Your ticket says X team vs X team. That’s what you pay for. Whoever is on the court, is who you get to see, regardless of who you hoped to see.
JACKOTACO
July 14, 2022 at 6:38 pm
@bangwithcamino
What do you mean, how long is a fan of a team? Most are fans for life. But I remember my parents taking me to Laker games in the late 80’s and 90s as a kid when they faced the Bulls. I wanted to see Jordan play. And there are plenty of youngsters nowadays feel the same way I felt years back.
Are you forgetting that there are fans of teams and players who live in other cities? It is not 99%, that is ridiculous stat to throw out there. I recall many times when the Lakes traveled to other cities, and fans were cheering for Kobe and Shaq. Kobe would get MVP chants in opposing arenas, you can look that up.
Nobody stated that players should sit out home games either. Players should play unless there is a serious injury.
I think most Americans would love to miss 50-60 days work days out of the year and continue to get their salary. But that isn’t how it works.
I hope when the new CBA arrives, these aspects of guaranteed contracts are over. Play to pay contracts should be the standard. And if you’re not hitting certain quotas, you can get cut. The NFL has got it right. I hope the NBA owners come after the players. I am sure they are sick of it, and I know very well many fans are as well. Enough is enough.
JACKOTACO
July 14, 2022 at 6:43 pm
@The Highlight Factory
Players have longer breaks now, they eat cleaner, they travel more comfortably and have the most up to date technology. They live a pampered life. They will be fine. I do not think the players will want a shorten season either if it means they will earn less. They want their cake and to eat it as well. I can not wait for the new CBA. If there is a lockout, so be it.
Edmond Chapple Jr.
July 14, 2022 at 1:38 pm
There’s a huge difference between players who are genuinely hurt and those who are scamming.
E J
July 14, 2022 at 2:11 pm
Courtney is right people need the rest but most people have to work 5 days a week and some in very physically demanding jobs but these guys work only 82 days of the year (yes I know post season, pre season and the play in tournament adds to it but not every goes to play in tournament or the postseason). If anything the coaching staffs should let them rest when it comes to practices.
K Lin
July 14, 2022 at 2:20 pm
But they play 82 games in 5 months. That’s like 16-17 games a month. Players have 13 days to rest per month.
SolteroConDinero
July 14, 2022 at 3:22 pm
Should be pay for play unless there is a credible and verifiable injury
Smartkid2387
July 14, 2022 at 5:10 pm
If players are gonna take games off for rest. Here are some things that should be considered:
1. Have them do on homes games, where fans have a better chance of seeing them should they miss.
2. Give a refund, partial refund or tickets to another to fans if it’s not injury related.
3. Don’t rest players on nationally televised games against top teams
I know it’s wishful thinking but I feel like this would be fair to players and fans.
S
July 14, 2022 at 5:56 pm
Money comes too easy for these players. It allows them to take this opportunity to showcase their ability in the biggest stage of basketball in the world for GRANTED. NBA should act on this and start penalizing players.
Frank Jones
July 17, 2022 at 11:14 am
Yes Greg popovich did started but if you look at tim Duncan tony Parker and Manu ginobili record they played 70 plus games. Kawhi Leonard is the one who took it to the extreme to where now players are rest 15-20 games plus.