Michael Jordan laments NBA’s load management trend: ‘It shouldn’t be needed’

Michael Jordan offered his insights on load management in the NBA: He doesn’t like it.

The six-time NBA Finals MVP discussed load management in the second installment of “MJ: Insights to Excellence,” as part of the NBA on NBC’s Tuesday broadcast.

“It shouldn’t be needed,” Jordan said. “I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. The fans are there to watch me play. I want to impress that guy, way up on top, who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket.”

Load management is the ultimate new school vs. old school among NBA players. Players from Jordan’s era would tell you they played unless injury made it impossible.

Michael Jordan shares his thoughts on load management on the second installment of MJ: Insights to Excellence.

“I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove…the fans are there to watch me play.” pic.twitter.com/h7g6krplDQ

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) October 29, 2025

But in recent years, healthy players being given a night off to rest became so common that the NBA implemented rules attached to awards. Players must play at least 65 games to be eligible for regular-season honors.

Not all of it has been on the players. Teams cited science as reasons to give healthy players a night off, even if it meant fans missing their lone opportunity to see their favorite player on the court.

Jordan understands injuries, but not a healthy player sitting out. That scenario has angered fans for years while teams prioritize long-term health, even if a player is not injured.

“Physically, if I can do it and just don’t feel like doing it, that’s a whole different lens,” he said.

Jordan was durable in his career. He played in all 82 regular-season games nine times in 15 seasons, including at age 39 with the Washington Wizards in his final season.

Jordan played in at least 78 games in 12 of his 15 seasons. Only a broken bone in his foot in Jordan’s second season (18 games), returning from his first retirement in 1995 (17 games) and knee surgery in 2001-02 (60 games) kept Jordan from showing up on the court.

MJ even played when he was sick. In the famous “Flu Game,” Jordan battled through a stomach ailment to score 38 points to help defeat the Utah Jazz 90-88 in the 1997 NBA Finals.

Eleven players played in 82 games last season, but none were All-Stars. James Harden’s 79 games were the most among All-Stars last season.