Kevin Garnett, who retired in 2016, is not just some old guy complaining about the new ways. He knows both old-school and modern basketball well.
Garnett’s Take on Modern Basketball:
When Garnett speaks about today’s game, people listen because he respects younger players. He’s no hater. But even he is getting fed up with how things are going now. On a recent episode of the "Ticket & The Truth" podcast, he called out Joel Embiid for deciding not to play back-to-back games anymore due to injury concerns. "It’s [expletive] amazing that he can get this off," Garnett said about Embiid’s choice. "Back-to-backs are part of the [expletive] season."
Fans sometimes wonder if players today are too focused on resting instead of playing every game like before.
The Load Management Debate:
There’s been talk from stars like LeBron James about cutting down the NBA season to 66 games, but Garnett disagrees with this idea strongly. He believes sticking to the traditional 82-game schedule is important: "82 games, man. That’s what the [expletive] job calls for," he emphasized.
Accountability and New Rules:
Garnett also criticized the league for letting players decide their schedules without being held accountable: "Ain’t nobody holding anyone accountable," he said. To tackle this issue of load management, the NBA introduced a rule saying players must play at least 65 games to qualify for awards and bonuses.
Some players, including Embiid, have said they’d rather skip awards if it means staying healthy for playoffs. Last year, Embiid missed out on MVP consideration because he didn’t meet the 65-game requirement.
Sometimes we feel like these changes make it harder to compare today’s stars with legends from the past!
