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Kendrick Perkins Drops Wild Load Management Claim

Originally posted on AirJordanChronicles | By Utsav Sinha | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 8:52 PM ET

Former player and current television analyst Kendrick Perkins just made a wild statement about how modern superstars operate, and the truth might be stranger than the rumors.

Perkins discussed NBA players’ load management techniques during the April 4 episode of ESPN’s morning show First Take. According to him, players and front offices sit down long before tip-off to map out exact games to skip.

Perkins said, “Let me take y’all behind the scenes of what happens before the season starts. Before the season starts, especially these franchise players around the league, they get with their organization, look at the schedule throughout the course of the whole season, and they actually planning games that they are going to miss and sit out.”

Kendrick Perkins says NBA players meet with their organization before the season starts, to choose which games they want to sit out:

“Let me take y’all behind the scenes of what happens before the season starts. Before the season starts, especially these franchise players around… pic.twitter.com/pihzAFQxmq
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 5, 2026

Perkins openly blamed head coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs for inventing load management years ago. He noted that the league had to step in and create the 65-game rule just to protect the fans who buy tickets.

But while his inside story sounds dramatic, the facts tell a very different story.

Kendrick Perkins’ Claim vs What the NBA Actually Does

There are currently no credible sources backing up Perkins’ claim. Nobody in a modern front office has ever confessed to running this type of planned vacation calendar for athletes.

Teams rely on medical staff, sports science, and constant monitoring of a player’s physical stress. Coaches and trainers look closely at travel schedules and rough road trips.

The league shared a data study during the 2023–24 season showing no statistical link between resting players and avoiding injuries. Joe Dumars, the league’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, noted that resting guys simply does not correlate with a lack of injuries.

Former commissioner David Stern fined the Spurs $250,000 back in 2012 for resting four stars on national TV. Current commissioner Adam Silver later introduced strict resting policies and heavy fines to stop teams from sitting healthy guys.

The league is actively trying to keep its biggest stars on the court and do justice to the fans who pay to see them play. Do you all think that Perkins’ claim might be true?

This article first appeared on AirJordanChronicles and was syndicated with permission.

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