A clash of eras is unfolding in the NBA, as legends like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan decry load management while modern voices like Chandler Parsons argue for its necessity. Magic Johnson isn’t a fan of load management. He’s been vocal about it for years, and recently, he’s brought Michael Jordan into the conversation. On Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Johnson shared what MJ thinks about the whole ordeal.
“It’s a difference now and fans see it,” Johnson said. “And fans are reacting to load management. They don’t get to see their stars. I was with Michael Jordan and he says, `They have got to do something about this load management. It’s hurting the game.”‘ But Johnson didn’t stop there. He highlighted just how durable Jordan was during his career. “Five or six times throughout his career, he didn’t miss one game,” Magic said, emphasizing that players back in their day wanted to play every single night.
And the numbers back it up—Jordan played a full 82-game season nine times in his 15-year career. Magic himself wasn’t far behind, suiting up for at least 77 games in nine different seasons. That kind of commitment is a far cry from today’s game, where missing back-to-backs has become the norm.
So when the topic came up on Run It Back show, former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons had a different take. He took a shot at Johnson’s comments, saying, “If MJ played this season, he would because it’s above his head and there’s medical experts that would literally make him sit out.” But here’s the thing—Parsons missed a key detail. This wasn’t Magic’s opinion; he was simply relaying what Jordan himself had said.
Still, Parsons doubled down when asked if anyone could actually force Jordan to sit. “I do, I do, and I just think that’s the way of the game now,” he said. Parsons’ perspective is rooted in modern sports science, where data-driven analysis and personalized player management reign supreme.
Magic Johnson is wrong…Michael Jordan would use load management if he played this season
“If Joel Embiid in November said, ‘I’m playing tonight.’ The medical experts would say, ‘No, you are not.’ There’s levels of opinions.” – @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/bGJnakmKRI
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 27, 2025
Today’s NBA teams employ medical experts who meticulously track players’ stress levels and injury risks. In this context, even a player as fiercely competitive as Michael Jordan would likely be subject to the directives of these experts, whose primary goal is to maximize long-term health and performance.
So, despite that one little flaw in Parsons’ stance, he wasn’t entirely wrong. “There’s so many medical people… everything is so data-driven and analytical, and most of the time, it’s out of a player’s hands,” he explained. And yet, despite all the debates and science backing up load management, Magic Johnson remains firm—he’s just not a fan.
Magic Johnson took shots at load management
Just like load management, another heated debate is swirling around the NBA—the Lack of rivalries. Speaking on Speak, Magic Johnson didn’t hold back his frustrations. “The Celtics, Lakers hate each other, disliked each other. So it made for great TV and people tuning in,” he explained in December. “Everybody’s shaking each other’s hand. Uh, everybody like each other. It won’t go at each other like really hard.” And according to Magic, that’s exactly why fewer people are tuning in.
He doubled down, linking the NBA’s dip in ratings to this missing edge. “That’s what it’s got to get back to … the number of viewerships are going down, and these guys better wake up.” But that wasn’t his only concern.
Magic also pointed to another major factor—load management. “And also load management. The guy got to play. They got to play. You got to play. We took pride in playing 82 games,” he said.
After the Lakers’ disappointing playoff run last year, he even called them out on X, blaming load management for their struggles. “The Lakers have nobody but themselves to blame. They wouldn’t have been in the play-in game or finished as a 7th seed this season if they hadn’t lost too many games because of load management.”
However, he later admitted injuries played a role, too. Still, one thing is clear—just like the lack of rivalries, Magic sees load management as a serious problem.
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