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NBA legend Michael Jordan shared his thoughts on load management with players around the league on Tuesday evening.
Jordan sat down with NBC’s Mike Tirico as part of the “MJ: Insights to Excellence” series that aired during the network’s game series. Tirico asked the former Chicago Bulls star what he thought about the strategy.
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The Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23) during the 1988-89 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons at Chicago Stadium. (MPS/USA TODAY Sports)
“It shouldn’t be necessary in the first place. I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove it,” Jordan said. “It was something that I felt like the fans were there to watch me play. I wanted to impress this guy at the top who probably worked his butt off to get a ticket or get the money to buy the ticket.
Jordan insisted he really cared about the guy with the nosebleed.
“Yeah, because I knew he was probably yelling at me and I wanted to shut him up. He called me all kinds of names, I definitely wanted to shut him up,” he said. “You have a duty. If they want to see you, and as an artist, I want a show. So if guys are coming to see me play, I don’t want to miss the opportunity. If I physically can’t do it, then I can’t do it. But physically, if I can do it and I just don’t want to do it, that’s a whole different perspective.”
Jordan remembers twisting his ankle early in his career and being asked to sit down. He refused, saying that, in his mind, he needed to be on the field to show what he was capable of. He said he always felt the need to never let his teammates down.
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls collapses into the arms of teammate Scottie Pippen, right, at the end of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz on June 11, 1997, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan, file)
MICHAEL JORDAN WANTS TO TAKE THE “MAGIC PILL” TO PLAY BASKETBALL AGAIN
He brought up Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, known as the “flu game.”
“I was going to find a way to make it happen – even if I was a decoy. Once I got there, you never know how, pushing yourself, you never know what happens,” he said. “The next thing you know, the emotions, the situation, the needs of the team, all those things catapulted me to, ‘I’m going to gut this thing.’
“Going back to your point about load management, I play basketball 2.5 hours a day, 3 hours a day, that’s your job. That’s what you get paid for. That’s for the NBA player. What do you do the other 21 hours? To me, that’s when you should be getting ready for your next work day, for your next challenge.
“Maybe I’m not one of those that you would probably model…but you should think about this in retrospect about what load management actually is. First, it’s the feeling of pride of the paying fans. Second, it’s the feeling of making sure that I stay sharp – I’m not going to lose that. Third, I want our rhythm as a team to always be there. It can disrupt that synergy.”
September 27, 2025; Bethpage, New York, United States; Michael Jordan watches the first hole of the penultimate day of Ryder Cup competition at Bethpage Black on September 27, 2025. (Dennis Schneidler/Imagn Images)
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The NBA has attempted to curb the use of load management in recent years. Contract incentives are tied to players receiving honors such as NBA MVP and All-NBA First-Team selection. Players must play at least 65 matches to be eligible.
