This season, the NBA will go all in to prevent the now infamous “load management” many teams utilize. Among the more notable tidbits, a new policy dictates that organizations are no longer allowed to rest more than one “star” player per game. Furthermore, they can’t just shut players down anymore without an apparent injury that has been approved.
When the Los Angeles Clippers held their media day on Monday, these policies were news to Kawhi Leonard — the Clippers’ talisman superstar. In his time away from the league and the Clippers, he legitimately did not know that the NBA was instituting new rules centered around managing player rest. To some, this was just classic Leonard, being hilariously stoic and oblivious to everything that doesn’t really matter to him on the court.
But there’s more here for a star many might consider the leading catalyst toward instituting these very policies.
“What are they?”
Kawhi Leonard on the new NBA player participation policy. pic.twitter.com/WtbfjQ35u9
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 2, 2023
Once someone explained the new rules to Leonard, he theorized that the league could be targeting him. The superstar famously once had a falling out with the San Antonio Spurs related to his health and playing time. And while he did tear an ACL during the 2021 campaign, Leonard hasn’t played more than 60 games in a regular season since 2016.
Naturally, Leonard said that no policy will keep him on the court more if he’s not healthy. Phew:
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard on the NBA’s Player Participation Policy: “If the league is trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, it should stop, because I was injured during that whole year. … No league policy is helping me to play more games.” pic.twitter.com/jBesdCm6C0
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 2, 2023
The start of the 2023 NBA regular season is in a little over three weeks. We likely won’t see what effect these load management-adjacent policies will have until we’re deeper into the league’s calendar.
But if someone like Leonard already has this kind of passionate reaction to them (by his standards, anyway), the NBA is probably holding its breath.
This is how Twitter reacted
If anything 2019 should be a prime example as to why you don’t try to rush or speed up anyone’s process https://t.co/G154mixxiI
— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) October 2, 2023
Kawhi don’t be saying a whole lot so you know this irked him to go in depth here about the policy. https://t.co/tI57S3CC5j
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) October 2, 2023
True story. Kawhi was banged up on top of being injured. I won’t go into details but he sacrificed a lot off of the court to get his body right to hoop. https://t.co/YVDWSrQmz2
— David Zenon (@DaveZenon) October 2, 2023
Love this response for two reasons. 1. Genuine + open Kawhi is a treat. 2. The NBA skirting around core of this issue (too many total games) by randomly making rules is bad policy + disrespectful to players while also not giving fans the confidence in seeing see their fav players https://t.co/hNM9TEgagm
— GentleWatch (@AdonMoss) October 2, 2023
damn, i've never seen kawhi this furious https://t.co/GMwOVHotRw
— Jonathan Soveta (@eighteenyards) October 2, 2023
That man couldn't walk down the airplane stairs after the chip.
The fact that he still played was a small miracle.
He had almost No lift vs the Bucks https://t.co/68UPzEvYT2— 🇭🇹 OMcConnor@bsky.social 🥲 🇵🇸 (@OMcconnor) October 2, 2023
The most emotional I've ever seen Kawhi, and it's still barely any emotion https://t.co/7W2JIEzxaD
— Martenzie Johnson (@10zJohnson) October 2, 2023
Good luck Clippers management https://t.co/mkd2GRmMLa
— Sam Rothstein (@blong43) October 2, 2023
This the most insight I’ve ever heard from Kawhi lol https://t.co/RYF60YgBYW
— Joshua 🇾🇪 (@JoshuaForte11) October 2, 2023
