Joel Embiid's Latest Comments Has Old-School Players Questioning Load Management

Shandel Richardson | 4 Hours Ago

Sep 30, 2024; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) poses for a photo on media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid recently caused a stir by saying he would not play back-to-back game this season.

It added more fire to the debate of today's players being soft. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal both addressed the issue Wednesday on Inside The NBA.

"I was so disappointed in Joel Embiid saying he wasn't going to play back-to-back games," Barkley said. "You're one of the three, four or five best players in the world. You cannot say as a leader of that team, 'I'm not going to play certain games.' That's not the way to start the season.

"As the best player on that team, and a leader, I would never go into a season saying I'm not going to play back-to-back games. I thought that was a bad message."

Time was, players made an effort to play every game during the 1980s and `90s. Nowadays, they are given the leeway of sitting out games for "maintenance" reasons. The players from earlier eras feel it hurts the game and fans who spend good money to attend games.

"Not only that, it doesn't make sense," O'Neal said. "The league isn't that physical for him to say that. He's a pick-and-popper, he's not a big guy. ... You don't get doubled, you don't get tripled, you don't get flagrant fouled. There's no reason to say 'I'm not playing back-to-back.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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