LeBron James broke down what appears to be a double standard regarding franchises resting superstar players during the regular season.
When all is said and done, LeBron James will be widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. However, every move James makes is put under a microscope and highly scrutinized. James told reporters how he really feels toward rest in the NBA.
LeBron James had an interesting take on the NBA's rest issue (via @clevelanddotcom) pic.twitter.com/a5N1Kw2f3L
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 21, 2017
James spoke to reporters during today’s shootaround and explained a key inconsistency.
“I don’t understand why it has become a problem now because I sit out a couple of games,” James said. “Listen Pop has been doing this stuff for 10 years, 12 years, 15 years and everybody was like ‘You know what? That is the smartest thing Pop has ever done.'”
James was referring to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Popovich has been regularly resting his players throughout the season for years.
Moreover, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to NBA owners regarding the rest issue. Silver called resting healthy players a “significant problem” in the NBA. Silver followed up by stating “significant penalties” will follow for teams who don’t obey the rest protocol.
This issue flared up after James and two other Cavaliers stars sat out of Cleveland’s game against the Clippers. Fans were distraught to see the absence of the NBA’s biggest stars.
Cleveland lost the game, 108-78, while the NBA suffered some of its worst ratings for a primetime matchup.
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A week before, the Warriors participated in a similar tactic. In a game against the Spurs, coach Steve Kerr decided to rest Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. In the Warriors’ defense, Golden State makes one more trip back to San Antonio (March 29).
LeBron and the Cavaliers continue their four-game road trip in Denver to take on the Nuggets Wednesday night.