According to Bryant, what inspired him to play in almost every game (especially when he was healthy during his prime) were the fans who would spend thousands of dollars just to watch him live.
One of the reasons why was greatly adored by his fans and peers was because he never believed in load management. Bryant was a tough player who always found ways to play through injuries throughout his career. One way he preserved his body was by pacing himself during games, which the Black Mamba once admitted he learned from his mentor, . Bryant said that it was Jordan who taught him how to load manage efficiently during games instead of sitting them out.
Bryant in an appearance on ESPN’s First Take.
Athletes may have valid reasons as to why they load manage during the season. Sometimes even, it’s not their call but rather the However, there were also some players, notably legends like Bryant, who never entertained the idea of sitting out games, especially when he was healthy. According to Bryant, what inspired him to play in almost every game (especially when he was healthy during his prime) were the fans who would spend thousands of dollars just to watch him live.
Bryant
The phenomenon of load managing has become more rampant in this era of basketball. As Jalen Rose you can blame that on analytics or the fact that fans started ring counting, but regardless, it’s time for NBA players to have pride when it comes to showing up for games — just like how Jordan and Bryant did.
It’s also the player’s responsibility on how they can appropriately manage themselves during the stretch of the regular season. For Bryant, it was the ability of finding ways to get rest in a game but still be efficient.
