Connecticut Sun v New York Liberty
Connecticut Sun v New York Liberty | Elsa/GettyImages
NBA stars have been criticized ad nauseam for choosing to sit out games when they're healthy, and for good reason. It's a terrible look, and it might not even be effective. New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu's latest comments should embarrass each and every NBA star who has even thought of load managing.
"We knew there was 17,000 fans there tonight," Ionescu said. "That was kind of my message before the game — this is a big game. There could be new fans that come and want to watch us for the first time. They don't know we've had four in six days. They don't care."
Ionescu had every reason to sit out Sunday's Liberty game or, at the very least, not give it her all. Instead, she had the opposite approach, citing that 17,000 fans came to pack the Barclays Center to watch her team play. She did not want to disappoint the fans. Based on how the Liberty played, not a single attendee went home dissatisfied.
NBA stars have a lot to learn from Sabrina Ionescu
As Ionescu noted, the Liberty were set to play their fourth game in the past six days, and the team they were facing happened to be the 1-5 Connecticut Sun. Chances are, this Liberty team that is likely the favorite to repeat as WNBA Champions would've been just fine against the Sun without stars like Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.
Not only did those two play, but they dominated. Ionescu had 18 points in 19 minutes, while Stewart chipped in with 13 points and five assists. They led the Liberty to a dominant 100-52 victory, improving to 7-0 in the process. Despite the game really being over after the first quarter, Ionescu played nearly half the game, and Stewart played more than half of the game.
At the end of the day, players do owe something to the paying customer. I totally get that playing on back-to-back nights or playing four games in six nights can be challenging, and that teams have to keep them healthy, but these players are getting paid to take the court and put on a show for the fans who spend the money it takes to show up.
There's a simple solution for NBA players to follow Sabrina Ionescu's lead
There's no excuse for star players not to play at all if they're healthy. If teams believe they need some rest, they can simply limit their minutes for a given game. There's a difference between limiting minutes and not playing at all.
Fans who pay outlandish prices to see players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry in action might be a little disappointed to see their hero play half the game like Ionescu, but half the game is certainly better than nothing at all. There isn't a worse feeling for a fan of an individual player than to make the effort to go to a game, only to see him or her in street clothes when 100 percent healthy.
Players need to view games through the same lens as Ionescu. They have a responsibility to perform for the fans who spend money to watch them play when healthy. Hopefully, a star like Ionescu suiting up for her team will be enough of a reason, despite playing four times in six days and facing a bad team at home for NBA players to follow her lead.