According to an anonymous GM, Kawhi Leonard changed the landscape of the NBA with how he handled his quad injury in the 2017/18 season.
Leonard only played in nine games that season due to a lingering quad injury. Even though he was cleared by San Antonio Spurs doctors to return to the court, Leonard was never cleared by his own doctors to play and thus never returned to the lineup.
Therefore, he was forced to leave the team and join the Toronto Raptors, leading the Canadians to ther first-ever NBA title in 2019.
At the same time, Leonard changed the way the teams protect their star players from injuries and that’s when the term ”load management” first appeared.
“So, what’s going on here? Polling some executives over the past few weeks, it’s clear that the league over the years has shifted the power structure to appear more player-centric, erring on the side of caution to protect their star player and also demonstrate a certain appreciation for the player’s long-term career.
As for the origin of this recent trend, several pointed to a single event: Kawhi Leonard forcing his way out of San Antonio in 2018 after a disagreement over how to handle his quad issue.
“Kawhi scared the living hell out of everyone,” said one GM. “If it can happen to the Spurs, it can happen to anybody,” Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports reports.
Leonard said multiple times last season he was happy with how the Raptors managed his health.
