Calls Mount Against NBA as Zion Williamson Throws $3.05 Billion Organization Under the Bus in Injury Update

Load management in the NBA is like that one plot hole in your favorite TV show—you notice it, you complain about it, but it’s not going anywhere. The league tried to tackle it by setting a 65-game minimum for awards and All-NBA honors, but let’s be real: that’s like trying to fix a leaky faucet with duct tape. Teams are always going to play it safe with their stars, especially if they’ve got a history of injuries. Can you blame them? Well, Zion Williamson does.

Even if the NBA chopped the season down to 60 games, players would still sit out. Why? Because teams aren’t about to risk their million-dollar investments for a single game in February. Load management is baked into the game. And Zion is a victim according to him.  After playing just 13 games, he missed 27 straight from November 8 to January 5 with a hamstring injury. This season, he’s only suited up for one set of back-to-back games—both against the Golden State Warriors on October 29 and 30.

On Thursday, Williamson set the record straight. “Let me make this clear to everybody out there,” he said, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory. “If I could play in the back-to-backs, I would. Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans. They’ve decided, based on the numbers, it’s not smart to do that right now. If that’s what they feel, I’m rocking with them on that.” 

Williamson has made it clear the $3.05 billion worth New Orleans Pelicans are to be blamed here. Not him. And the fans aren’t happy. They buy tickets, take time out to watch superstars only to see them on the bench. The fans criticized the NBA after this new broke out.

Fans call the NBA “soft” and blame the league itself for the falling tv ratings after Zion Williamson’s statement

One user tweeted, “This league is soo soft”.  Williamson himself said he feels physically capable of playing in back-to-backs, but the Pelicans are pulling the reins based on “the numbers.” For some fans, this feels like overprotection in a league that’s already seen its fair share of load management debates.

Remember the days when players like Allen Iverson or Kobe Bryant would gut it out through injuries and play every game they could? Yeah, those days feel long gone.

“This is one of the many reasons why the NBA has fallen off a cliff in terms of viewership and popularity,” wrote another user. Imagine paying top dollar to see Zion play, only to find out he’s resting because the team crunched some numbers. It’s a tough sell.  Now, it’s not uncommon to see half a team’s starters sitting out for “rest” on a random Tuesday night.

The reaction, “The NBA needs to be investigated,” is equal parts hilarious and telling, especially when you consider the irony of the Philadelphia 76ers’ recent situation. Earlier this season, the league actually investigated the Sixers for listing Joel Embiid as injured when many believed he was being held out for load management.

The fact that fans are now calling for an investigation into the NBA itself shows just how fed up they are with the league’s handling of player availability and transparency.

One netizen chimed in with, “NBA becoming a joke. Imaging paying someone more to intentionally play less games than another player who makes less. David Stern would never.” First, the idea of paying stars top dollar to sit out games feels counterintuitive, especially when role players are out there grinding every night for a fraction of the salary.

The reference to David Stern, the NBA’s former commissioner, is particularly telling. Stern was known for his no-nonsense approach and his focus on growing the league’s global appeal. Under his leadership, the NBA prioritized star power and fan engagement, often at the expense of player comfort.

“This why nobody watches this sport anymore can’t nobody play back to back games all of a sudden,” wrote another user. For fans, this shift feels like a lack of toughness—or worse, a lack of commitment to the game. In the end, this reaction is a wake-up call for the NBA. If the league wants to win back viewers, it needs to find a way to keep its stars on the court without sacrificing their long-term health. Otherwise, the frustration will only grow.