‘It’s Like An Absent Parent League’: Bill Simmons Rips NBA Commish Adam Silver For Stars Taking Games Off Without Repercussions
Sports media personality Bill Simmons blasted NBA commissioner Adam Silver for not punishing star players who take games off for what’s referred to as load management.
It’s become popular, in the league, for players to take a night off to help their bodies heal from the rigors of an 82-game season. During the NBA’s All-Star Game weekend, Silver downplayed the subject of load management — which he doesn’t view as a problem.
“I hesitate to weigh in on an issue as to whether players are playing enough because there is real medical data and scientific data about what’s appropriate,” Silver said at a press conference before the Saturday All-Star Game festivities began.
“Sometimes, to me, the premise of a question as to whether players are playing enough suggests that they should be playing enough suggests that they should be playing more, that, in essence, there should be some notion of just get out there and play. Having been in the league for a long time, having spent time with a lot of some of our great legends, I don’t necessarily think that’s the case,” Silver said.
On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons blasted the NBA commissioner for his lack of awareness.
“I’m really fed up with Adam Silver,” Simmons said. “I just think the league has a lot of problems right now, and it feels like a league that’s kinda missing, missing the parent. It’s like an absent parent league. Where is he?”
Simmons slammed the NBA All-Star weekend for the lack of effort the players put into it, and he called it a “lay-up line” and “it fucking sucks.” The 2023 game became the lowest-rated game in its history.
The Bill Simmons Podcast host pivoted and brought up a story about load management at a Los Angeles Lakers game to see the star, LeBron James.
“The game had already started, and there’s a kid who’s decked out in LeBron stuff, and the dad and the son had just gotten there. And the person I heard this story from said to them, ‘wow, you love LeBron, huh?’ And the dad said, ‘yeah, I hope he’s playing tonight.’ And his kid is wearing all LeBron stuff,” Simmons said.
He added, “That’s kind of this point we’ve arrived to in 2023 when you go to games. You’re gonna bet on a game or whatever, and you just have no idea who’s gonna play,” Simmons said.
The host argued that former NBA commissioner David Stern would have been more proactive in his handling of the issue.
“I think he really tailed off the last eight-nine years of his career, but he still had some wins, he had a lot of losses, but I just feel like he would’ve really cared about this, and I don’t feel like the league does,” he said.
Listen above via The Bill Simmons Podcast.
