ESPN New York host Michael Kay didn’t mince words Thursday when discussing what he sees as a growing problem for the NBA and its television partners, arguing on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York that load management has evolved from a competitive strategy into a business liability that directly impacts networks paying billions for broadcast rights.
Kay said the ripple effects now extend well beyond disappointed ticket buyers, stressing that national partners such as ESPN, Amazon and NBC depend on star power to drive ratings and justify their investments.
“It’s gotten so bad now that it’s affecting partners,” Kay said, explaining that if a marquee player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ruled out before a featured matchup, the audience will inevitably shrink.
“They’re not going to get the same audience. Same thing with Amazon. Same thing with NBC. When those guys go to Adam Silver and go, ‘This is nonsense. We paid for your product, not for people sitting on the bench.’”
While the league has worked with teams on rest policies to support long-term health and postseason success, Kay criticized the approach. He argued that the optics damage the sport’s credibility. That concern grows when healthy players sit out high-profile games.
He pointed directly at Commissioner Adam Silver, suggesting the league office needs to take a firmer stance reminiscent of former commissioner David Stern.
“When you see what other teams are doing, keeping healthy players on the bench or not playing them at all, not even dressing them, it’s a bad look for the sport,” Kay said. “Adam Silver has to get a little bit of a David Stern transfusion. He has to. Because Stern would not allow this. He would get in their grill and say, this cannot go on.”
Kay also questioned the competitive logic behind resting stars in marquee matchups, describing the strategy as shortsighted and unfair to broadcast partners. “It’s awful for the rights partners who are paying a lot of money,” he said, adding that choosing to sit players in anticipated showdowns undermines the value of those games.
Ultimately, Kay framed the issue as one of accountability, contending that if the NBA wants to protect its brand and media relationships, it must ensure that healthy stars regularly appear in the very games designed to showcase the league at its highest level.
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