Michael Jordan sounds off on load management

NBA legend Michael Jordan shared his thoughts about load management with players in the league on Tuesday night.

Jordan sat down with NBC’s Mike Tirico as part of the “MJ: Insights to Excellence” series which airs during the network’s slate of games. Tirico asked the former Chicago Bulls star about his thoughts on the strategy.

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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 needed first and foremost. I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove,” Jordan said. “It was something that I felt like the fans are there to watch me play. I wanted to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his a– off to get a ticket or get money to buy the ticket.”

Jordan insisted that he did really care about the guy who sat in the nosebleeds.

“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’re wanting to see you, and as an entertainer, I want a show. So, if guys are coming to watch me play, I don’t want to miss the opportunity. If physically 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.”

Jordan recalled twisting an ankle early in his career and being asked to go sit down. He declined, saying that, in his mind, he needed to be on the floor to show what he was capable of. He said he always felt the need to never let his teammates down.

Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan collapses in the arms of teammate Scottie Pippen, right, at the end of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, June 11, 1997, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan, File)

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He pointed to Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, which was known as the “Flu Game.”

“I was going to find a way to get out there – even if I was a decoy. Once I got out there, you never know how, pushing yourself, you never know what happens,” he said. “The next thing you know, the emotions, the situation, the need of the team, all those things catapulted me to, ‘I’m gonna gut this thing out.’

“Back to your point about what load management is, I play basketball 2.5 hours a day, 3 hours a day, that’s your job. That’s what you get paid to do. That’s to the 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, for your next challenge.

“Maybe I’m not one of the guys that you would probably model that … but you should think about that in retrospect of what load management really is. One, is for the sense of pride for the fans that are paying. Two, is the sense of making sure that I stay sharp – I’m not going to lose it. Three, I want our rhythm as a team to always be there. It can disrupt that synergy.”

Michael Jordan watches the first hole on the penultimate day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Sept. 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 like NBA MVP and All-NBA First-Team selection. Players must play at least 65 games to be eligible.

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