“Got a Situation With the Lakers and Clippers”: Veteran Journalist Predicts Trouble for LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard & Co With Adam Sliver’s $1MN Scare

The NBA has been dealing with a major problem of “Load Management” for the past few years. With superstars like Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis missing multiple games with minor or no injuries, the fans leave the arena disappointed, unable to watch their favorite players perform. The NBA front office has finally stepped in, making some drastic changes to the old Player Resting Policy of 2017. The revised policy was approved this Wednesday which is bringing in more strict rules against teams to curb Load Management.

Under this new policy, teams can be fined over $1 million for each violation. That has raised some concerns for teams with multiple Superstars such as the Lakers and the Clippers. Veteran ESPN journalist broke down how this new policy could bring trouble for LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard’s teams.

NBA steps in to solve the “Load Management” problem

Instating the new Player Participation Policy, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue that has been plaguing the league for years, “This is ultimately about the fans, and that we have taken this too far.” The league has issued a new rule on players who have been named an All-Star or All-NBA in the last three years, deeming them NBA superstars.

According to the new policy, teams are required to play at least one of their superstars if they are healthy. The uninjured superstars cannot miss any nationally televised games.

Read More: LeBron James’ $200 Announcement Overshadows NBA All-Star’s 8 Years of Hard Work

Failing to follow these rules will cost a team $100,000 on the first offense, $250,000 on the second violation, and $1.25 million on the third strike. After that, $1 million will be added to each violation.

The Lakers and Clippers might be in big trouble

Veteran ESPN journalist Brian Windhorst broke down the policy, which could cause trouble for King James and The Klaw. “We have got a situation with the Lakers and Clippers.” Windy said, talking about the Clippers’ schedule in the opening week. Kawhi Leonard is coming off a knee surgery this season. But his team is scheduled to play the Orlando Magic, followed by King James and the Lakers on back-to-back nights.

LeBron and Kawhi’s showdown will be a nationally televised game. And according to the new policy, Kawhi cannot miss these games if he is not injured. These Clippers games in the opening week will dictate how strictly the league is going to follow these new rules. That could also mean trouble for the Lakers who have an injury prone Anthony Davis in their squad. The new Player Participation Policy also stops teams from shutting down their superstars at the end of the season, putting a stop to last season’s situation with superstars Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard.

Watch This Story: NBA Analyst Thrashes LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul’s Comments on Pressure of ‘Following’ Michael Jordan: “He Had to Follow Magic (Johnson)”

The revision of the old policy is a major step by Adam Silver in curbing the Load Management problem. Although this season is going to be a Test Run for the league, NBA fans are hoping that these changes will improve the quality of the NBA season. With their favorite superstars showing up every night, fans are more likely to buy match tickets and tune into games on a regular basis.