NBA Media Day was a few days ago and quite a bit of drama happened.
Some things were said and done that rubbed some people the wrong way and raised some questions.
So, here’s a recap of the super important things about Media Day that you should probably know about:
Let’s start with the not-so-crucial stuff.
Kawhi vs. New Load Management Policy
Kawhi Leonard called out the league for their new load management rules.
The new policy states that teams aren’t allowed to rest multiple star players in the same game, and during nationally televised games and in-season tournaments, unless the player is injured.
Leonard said:
"I'm not a guy that's sitting down because I'm doing load management -well, when I was with the Raptors, it was different; like, I was coming [off] an injury.
"And you have to know the details from the doctor. But if the league is seeing or trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, they should stop because I was injured during that whole year.
“But other than that, if I'm able to play, I'll play basketball. I work out every day in the summertime to play the game. So, no league policy is helping me to play more games."
Rose Is Not In Memphis to Babysit Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant got into a lot of trouble last season with off-court stuff and newly acquired vet Derrick Rose is not going to “babysit” him.
Rather, Rose is on the team to guide Morant on the hardwood and help him be the best player he can be.
Rose said:
"I just told him I'm not here to babysit you. I'm not here to follow you around. I'm not here to cheerlead… I'm here to push you.
“I'm very fortunate to be in a situation where a lot of people look at his game and they kind of compare our games together. But he's on a whole other level. It's my job to push him and let him know in times whenever he is being reckless, to calm down.
"Me saying reckless, I'm talking about on the court.”
Now, for the second most important story…
O.G. Anunoby Pranked Damian Lillard
After his trade request, Damian Lillard didn’t know which team he was going to end up on. There were a handful of teams that wanted him and one of them was the Toronto Raptors.
So, Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby decided to prank the star guard by sending him a text that said, “Welcome to Toronto!” around the time that news started to circulate about Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Obviously everything was up in the air,” Lillard said. “I was on the phone and I just got a random text from OG like: ‘Welcome to Toronto.’”
“I was like ‘man let me call this dude and see,’ ” Lillard said. “I finally called him, he didn’t answer, then he called me back and he was laughing. It just caught me off guard, like I know it didn’t happen like that.”
Now, for the mightily crucial and important story…
Jimmy Butler Was Sad
Jimmy Butler told Taylor Rooks that he’s been on a roller coaster of emotions recently.
“It’s emotional right now. A lot has gone on in the past week with basketball. So, you know, I’m wearing all black so my emotions can show.”
He was then asked what he’s been feeling over the past week.
“I was excited, and then angry, and then sad, and then excited again, and pissed off, and then sad again. And now I’m excited. You just can’t tell because I’m not smiling. But I’m very happy.”
Final Thoughts
Those were, in my opinion, the most important stories from Media Day.
Hope this article caught you up with all of the critical, life-changing news in the (NBA) world.
Support the Newsletter
Are you looking for some gear to rep your NBA team?
Grab it from the official NBA store. You can find jerseys, hats, t-shirts, and even collectibles, such as signed basketballs.
Click here to head over to the store and order your new gear!
Also, this is an affiliate link. What this means is that I will get a small commission from your purchase, at no extra cost to you. So, thanks in advance!
Read These Articles
The WNBA Officially Announced An Expansion Team In The Bay Area That Will Start Playing In 2025
Lonzo Ball says he'll 'definitely' play again despite knee surgeries
How to Sprint for Basketball (And Why You Should Practice It)
Watch This Video
Golden State Warriors play prisoners in game of basketball