Load management is commonplace in the NBA, with teams resting their top stars during the regular season to ensure they remain fully fit for more crucial games.
The practice has proved controversial at times, and the late Kobe Bryant was not a fan, branding it "crazy" in a 2019 interview. Throughout his career Bryant played through several injuries and, following his tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020, his widow Vanessa revealed Bryant did so to ensure he did not "disappoint his fans".
"Kobe played through injury after injury," she said in a speech at Bryant's posthumous Hall of Fame induction. "To name a few, he had IVs administered during half-times to play with food poisoning and the flu. He played with a broken nose. He had a broken finger and had it snap back in place, just enough to finish the game.
