MJ Just Cooked Load Management Like It Was the ’90s Bulls

The GOAT has spoken. And dammit, when Michael Jordan talks, everybody listens.

Jordan didn’t believe in load management when he was dominating the NBA — even when he was violently sick, taped up, and running on fumes.

In NBC’s MJ: Insights to Excellence, the six-time champion sat down with Mike Tirico and spoke on the state of today’s game and, specifically, this whole “load management” era.

And just like one of his fadeaways, it was nothing but net.

“It shouldn’t be needed,” MJ said. “I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove myself… the fans work their butts off to buy those tickets. I wanted to impress that guy up top.”

Man, say it louder for the stars sitting out in designer hoodies!

Jordan’s message was simple: if you’re not injured, play. You owe it to the game, and you owe it to the fans.

This is the same man who played through a sprained ankle early in his career just to make a name for himself. The same man who dragged himself out of bed during the 1997 NBA Finals: sick, sweating, barely standing, and still dropped 38 points on Utah in “The Flu Game.”

That’s not just toughness. That’s legacy.

See, MJ didn’t just talk that talk. He backed it up. Let’s not forget who we’re dealing with here:

🏆 6-time NBA Champion (1991–93, 1996–98)

🏅 5-time MVP🏀 6-time Finals MVP (most in NBA history)

🔥 10-time scoring champ

💪 1988 Defensive Player of the Year

🌟 14-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team, 9-time All-Defensive First Team

👑 Highest career scoring average in NBA history (30.1 PPG)

🎖️ 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist

💰 First billionaire NBA player

🏛️ Hall of Famer & Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient

So when that man says, “Load management shouldn’t be needed,” what are you gonna say back?

MJ came from an era where if you could walk, you played. Period. No “scheduled rest.” No “maintenance nights.”

He played all 82 games nine times in his career. In today’s league, some stars don’t even hit 65.

Now, sure, the game’s different. Players are bigger and faster, and teams want to protect their investments. But Jordan’s point cuts through all that science talk. Fans pay to see you perform. You’re an entertainer. Show up.

Jordan even laughed about the hecklers:

“Yeah, I wanted to shut him up. He’s probably yelling at me all night — I definitely wanted to shut him up.”

That’s the killer instinct these new generations keep hashtagging but don’t really live by.

So yeah, shoutout to the GOAT for calling out the load management era for what it is — soft.

MJ wasn’t built to rest. He was built to compete. 

And even in 2025, he’s still teaching lessons to a league that’s gotten too comfortable.