Brynn Anderson/AP Images
Dwyane Wade during his final season in the NBA in 2019.
- Dwyane Wade told Business Insider that he would sign up for load management if he played today.
- Wade said load management, a controversial practice of resting players in the NBA, can be important, especially for star players coming off of long playoff runs and preparing for another.
- Wade said he understands the criticism, citing fans who pay money to see players play, but said there is "no right answer" to the dilemma.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Dwyane Wade knows the toll heavy minutes and a long playoff run can take on the body, and doesn't blame today's NBA players and teams for managing players wisely.
While speaking to Business Insider ahead of the release of his new documentary with ESPN, "Life Unexpected," Wade said he approves of "load management" - the practice of managing NBA players' minutes and game totals in hopes of getting more rest for the postseason.
"Sign me up for load management," Wade said. "It's a long season."
Kawhi Leonard is the face of load management in the NBA. When the Toronto Raptors traded for Leonard in 2018, they developed a plan to rest him throughout the season, coining the term "load management," as Leonard had missed almost the entire 2017-18 season with a leg injury. The Los Angeles Clippers have since adopted the practice with Leonard, as have other teams with their stars.
Wade noted that in a case like Leonard's, where he played into June with the Raptors, had a short time off in the summer, then resumed playing in September, rest can be necessary.
"I did it four years in a row," Wade said of playing into June during Finals runs. "So your body, at some point, it does break down and you want to be able to - especially when you have a good team - you want to be able to be in a position where you're at your best later. So you take some games off early in the year to kind of rest the body and the mind."
Wade said that later in his career, he underwent a form of load management, sitting out back-t0-backs to preserve his body.
The practice isn't so simple, however. Resting players has long been a contentious topic in the NBA, as fans buy tickets to games, then occasionally miss players. In other instances, star players have sat out of high-profile, nationally televised games, drawing scrutiny for hurting the product. Perhaps the biggest incident this season was when Leonard sat out of a nationally televised game against the Milwaukee Bucks, denying fans the chance to see the reigning MVP against the reigning Finals MVP.
"On the other side of it, fans pay their money," Wade said. "Maybe they want an opportunity to see you play and you're not playing because of load management. So I definitely understand it from both sides ... no right answer."
Carlos Osorio/APKawhi Leonard has become the face of load management.
Wade's former teammate LeBron James has taken his stance on this side of the aisle. Asked about sitting out games earlier this season, James said he wouldn't sit out for rest, only injury or if the Lakers had locked up their playoff seed. James cited fans coming to see him play as one reason he'll always play if he's healthy.
Wade shot down the idea that he would ever tell the 35-year-old James to get some rest.
"No, no," Wade said. "Players got to go through their own process, and everyone does it differently. You can't expect every player to be the same, think the same, have the same mentality at all. So, that works for him, and what works for somebody else is just a little different and that's okay."
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