There is no doubt about the fact that Julius Erving is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game. The way he went about his game inspired the generations that came after him. It can be easily said that Dr. J was one of the pioneers of the current style of play we all witness in the NBA.
In a recent interview, Erving divulged that he feels that the term “load management’ is badly misused in the NBA nowadays. He also condemned the fact that players feel the need to be rested in every few games. The 71-year-old said, “With the money being what it is, I’d be out there trying to play every game. If y’all are paying that, Imma be out there every damn game.”
On the Posted Up with C. Haynes Pod, this clip with Dr. J on why he condemns load management. Link to full pod on a plethora of topics below.
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— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 28, 2021
He continued, “You wanna try and win as many games as you can. You wanna please the fans. If they accepted you, then that’s everything. The bond between the players and the fans has to be kept up. There are also TV fans now. Load management is a new innovation and I think that it has been endorsed by the officials. Everybody is in it now and somebody needs to be against it. So I’m standing against it.”
Now, it has to be said that the league has hanged drastically over the years. The games come thick and fast during the regular season. Sometimes, players have to play daily for long periods of time. That takes a toll on their physical and mental state.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 11: NBA Legend, Julius Erving, attends a game between the LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers
Team physicians have repeatedly come out and said that over-exertion can result in players getting frequent injuries. That is exactly what is happening in this season. Due to a significantly shorter offseason, the players did not get time to tend to their pre-existing injuries and ended up getting new ones.
However, the opinion of Julius Erving cannot be ignored because of his stature in the world of basketball. During his playing days, he commanded such respect from players and all those who watched him, that his legacy still remains untarnished to this day.
