"Part of greatness is longevity!" - Richard Jefferson cites Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James' greatness as athletes, criticizes NBA's "coddling" of players and idea of a shorter season
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his most recent press conference, stated that he was not against the idea of shortening the season. Not everyone has been a fan of the idea, especially retired player Richard Jefferson. The 41-year-old went off in his most recent appearance on NBA Today, expressing his concerns with the proposed shortening of the season.
Through this new format, the league could take away the risk of fatigue that affects the players. However, Jefferson stated that the athletes already have enough waivers, which makes playing easy for them. When asked about his thoughts on the possible format change, he replied by saying:
"Every team now has sleep staffs. They have extra training staff. When I came into the league, you had two training staffs that doubled as an equipment manager. You have a massage therapist to travel with teams, and you wanna shorten the season? Like how much more do we have to make this coddling and all of this stuff go with the players? It makes absolutely no sense.
Having played in the NBA for 17 seasons, Jefferson very well knows how difficult it is to compete in an 82-game season. However, he believes that shortening the season would take out a certain level of difficulty. Jefferson also gave examples of how players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sustained their greatness through the years.
"While we do want our best player on the floor, part of greatness is longevity. That's what Michael Jordan, that's what Kareem Abdul - Jabbar, that what LeBron James... all of these guys, we talk about their greatness over a long time and to keep eliminating this and dialing back to the point where it's like there is nothing else for the players to do."
Richard Jefferson’s 2 min. rant on shortening the NBA season😳
“Professional sports is not good on your body. It's supposed to separate the people that can do it from the people that can't do it… Part of greatness is longevity… I think this is a joke.”
https://t.co/T28RTWc93K
What are the benefits of shortening the NBA season?
The NBA adopted the 82-game season format for the first time in the 1967-68 season. Back then, there were 12 teams in the league. Although the NBA has grown to 30 teams now, they have still stuck with the 82-game format for 54 years now.
The proposed change certainly has a silver lining as it reduces the risk of injuries the players have to endure. Going through an 82-game season until April and then battling in the playoffs is physically demanding. Over the years, some of the best players in the league have faced injuries in the postseason.
"I'm not against potentially changing the format of the season."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver answers @ChrisBHaynes' question about the length of the regular season. https://t.co/wAYLgQELoG
This has caused them to miss an entire season as well. One of the biggest examples of this being Kawhi Leonard. By shortening the season, the teams can put in their best five for all the regular-season games.
Upon reaching the postseason, the fans will get to see the biggest stars go at it on the biggest stage. This will make things competitive as playing without injuries will bring out the best in all the players.
#NBA not expanding anytime soon (to Seattle or Vegas) says commish https://t.co/PXWbei4dxD
The league is yet to make a decision, but talks of shortening the season have been going on for a while now. Not many are going to be fond of this idea. But if this helps players stay fit for the season and participate actively in the playoffs, it certainly seems like an interesting proposition.