NBA legend John Stockton has expressed his dismay about the modern NBA, as the rise of load management among superstars, such as Kawhi Leonard, has become prevalent in recent years. In his interview with The Ultimate Assist on Sunday, Stockton took a dig at superstars who choose not to play during regular-season games to manage their bodies.
The former Utah Jazz star also called the modern NBA “softer” compared to their era, citing load management.
“It’s softer… guys can take 20 days off,” Stockton said. “Load management? Imagine telling your dad, ‘I’m taking a few weeks off work.’ Who’s gonna feed us then? These guys do it. It’s bad for the game.”
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"I think an athlete, you train yourself for the most extreme situations, which is 48 minutes, four games in five nights. You train yourself for that, and anything less is doing yourself a disservice. I think it's a disservice from a personal level, all the way to the organizational and fan level. It's awful," he added.
Load management has been used as a reason for players' absence throughout the regular season. Some of those who used it often are the likes of Leonard, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, among others.
In Stockton's career, he was known for his durability, playing 609 consecutive games from 1990 to 1997. He only missed 22 games in his 19-year career in the NBA.
In the 2024-2025 season, only 11 players played in all 82 games of the regular season.
John Stockton looks back at the time he got emotional after missing a game
John Stockton has taken pride in being one of the most reliable players in the league during his time. In the same interview, he looked back at the time he almost cried after missing a game.
"Why do this if you're not going to lay it all out there? I remember almost crying when I had to hear the national anthem in the first game that I missed, and it felt the same way for the other ones," he said.
Stockton finished his career with 15,806 assists, topping the all-time list. He was known for his partnership with former league MVP Karl Malone with the Jazz.
Stockton and Malone brought the Jazz back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, only to lose against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
The Jazz has yet to reach the NBA Finals since then.
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