"Michael Jordan got hurt and missed 64 games his second year in the league" - Stan Van Gundy calls out modern NBA players for complaining about their minutes
There have been plenty of suggestions that the NBA has gotten soft in recent times, and analyst Stan Van Gundy has used Michael Jordan's numbers to buttress the point.
Fans have raved about players logging in too many minutes in the regular season and the need to save themselves for the playoffs. However, some are tired of hearing that excuse.
The reason for the limited minutes is not lost on many, as it gives others a chance to feature, reduces the risk of injury, and prevents burnout. Nonetheless, the increased emphasis on workload management and players taking time off to rest is concerning.
Van Gundy took to social media platform Twitter to make his point. He used the legendary Michael Jordan as an example to show players who averaged significant minutes in the regular season still delivered in the playoffs.
"Michael Jordan got hurt and missed 64 games his second year in the league. He came back from his foray into baseball in 1994-95 to play 17 games. In his other 11 years with the Bulls, he missed a total of 7 games and averaged over 38 minutes a game. Still seemed OK in the playoffs."
Michael Jordan got hurt and missed 64 games his second year in the league. He came back from his foray into baseball in 1994-95 to play 17 games. In his other 11 years with the Bulls he missed a total of 7 games and averaged over 38 minutes a game. Still seemed OK in the playoffs
Earlier in the season, LeBron James and Kevin Durant were logging huge minutes. While the players maintained that they were okay with it, their respective head coaches were blasted for keeping them on the floor for so long.
Neither player complained as they were happy to help their team pick up wins. However, fans were more interested in them conserving their energy to improve their chances of delivering a championship at the end of the season.
Michael Jordan played every single game during his second three-peat
Jordan won two three-peats with the Chicago Bulls, the first from 1991-1993, where he missed only four regular-season games in that stretch. Amazingly, he played every single game in his second three-peat from the 1995-96 season to the 1997-98 campaign.
In those three seasons, he also led the Bulls to three championships, earning two regular-season MVPs and three Finals MVPs. Jordan won three of his ten scoring titles in that period.
Michael Jordan won the 1988 NBA Dunk Contest 34 years ago today. He also did a few other things that season 🐐 https://t.co/KDuvilD5sl
MJ's durability was something to marvel about, and it helped him on his journey to world dominance. Some argue that he could have played for longer if he had managed his load and taken better care of his body.
Longevity is an area that favors LeBron James in the GOAT debate, as the 37-year-old is still registering similar numbers to that of his peak years. Perhaps Jordan could have played for longer if he had taken occasional rests or played fewer minutes.
Interestingly, Jordan left the NBA to play minor league baseball after his first three-peat. However, we cannot exactly say he was resting as he threw himself into learning an entirely new sport.