Michael Jordan Criticizes NBA Load Management

On NBC’s MJ: Insights to Excellence, Michael Jordan condemned the modern NBA practice of “load management,” saying “it shouldn’t be needed” and that he never wanted to miss games. He said players have a duty to fans — including those in the nosebleed seats who paid to attend — and as an entertainer he wanted to put on a show, sometimes telling hecklers to “shut up.” Jordan cited playing through a sprained ankle and his 1997 “Flu Game” as examples, and said missing games is acceptable when a player truly cannot play for health reasons but criticized absences taken simply because a player “doesn’t feel like doing it.” The comments aired during NBC’s series between game broadcasts and were framed against his career, which he described as marked by many 78+‑game seasons.