“Load management” are two words that have never been in Michael Jordan’s vocabulary.
The retired basketball icon Jordan shared some strong opinions about load management during his latest feature for NBC. Jordan sat down for an extended interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico, and the interview is being aired by the network in three-minute bits throughout this NBA season.
Jordan’s latest segment aired on NBC after the New York Knicks-Milwaukee Bucks game on Tuesday. The topic for this week’s segment was the controversial modern practice of load management for stars.
“It’s shouldn’t be needed,” Jordan said of load management. “I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove [something]. It was something that I felt like, the fans are there to watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his a– off to get a ticket … You have a duty if they’re wanting to see you. And as an entertainer, I wanna show.
“If guys are coming to watch me play, I don’t want to miss that opportunity,” added Jordan. “Now physically if I can’t do it, then I can’t do it. But physically if I can do it and I just don’t feel like doing it, that’s a whole different lens … You play basketball for 2.5 to 3 hours a day. That’s your job. That’s what you get paid to do. That’s an NBA player. What are you doing the other 21 hours? To me, that’s when you should be preparing for your next day of work.
You can watch Jordan’s full segment with Tirico here.
Michael Jordan shares his thoughts on load management on the second installment of MJ: Insights to Excellence.
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) October 29, 2025
“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
Now 62 years old, Jordan, who played 15 seasons in the NBA from 1984-2003, certainly walked the walk in that regard. He appeared in all 82 games in a season nine different times and had another two seasons beyond that of appearing in 80 or more games.
The obvious counter-argument to Jordan’s stance is that it is more physically taxing to play NBA basketball these days (with the game having expanded out significantly further thanks to the three-point shot and as well as having witnessed the natural evolutionary influx of longer, stronger, and more athletic players around the entire league). But at least Jordan is keeping the same energy here as he shared similar thoughts when the practice of load management first started becoming popular in 2019.
