When Kawhi Leonard Sits Out, Do Fans Lose Out?
The Lead
Audible
3.7 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 12 November 2019
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Clippers recently angered many NBA fans by resting Kawhi Leonard during a nationally televised game. But could this strategy be the key to winning an NBA title? We speak with The Athletic's Eric Koreen about how "load management" played out during Leonard’s championship run in Toronto last year, the impact his actions have had on the league, and whether this approach to resting will become the blueprint for NBA stars in the future.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We're here at the Staples Center where the Raptors and Clippers are playing. |
| 0:11.7 | In the first game, the Kauai Leonard has faced his old team this year. |
| 0:15.8 | It was a rough first half for Kauai, 0-5 from the floor, 4 turnovers. |
| 0:20.5 | He didn't hit his first shot until the middle of the third quarter. |
| 0:24.4 | And you know, there's been a lot of buzz about Kauai lately because he's once again doing |
| 0:28.6 | something that has raised some tricky questions for the league. |
| 0:32.2 | We're talking, of course, about load management. |
| 0:36.3 | Basically, sitting out doing regular season games so he can be healthier in the playoffs |
| 0:41.0 | and, you know, maybe extend his career. |
| 0:43.4 | It's a polarizing concept. |
| 0:46.2 | Today, we're going to talk to the Athletics Eric Karin about this idea of superstars sitting |
| 0:51.3 | out and what it means for fans, owners and the players themselves. |
| 0:57.1 | I'm Wondery and the Athletic. |
| 0:58.6 | I'm Anders Keltow. |
| 1:00.4 | And I'm Kavita Davidson. |
| 1:02.0 | It's Tuesday, November 12th, and this is the league. |
| 1:06.5 | It felt like something great was happening. |
| 1:10.7 | There was just something about the emotion and the heart of the Noga Farrows for basketball. |
| 1:14.7 | The fangs of the past don't matter because we've got this now. |
| 1:20.7 | This isn't a story here at the interview the athlete in the home. |
| 1:25.0 | It stays with you. |
| 1:26.0 | Hey, prime members, you can listen to the lead ad free on Amazon Music. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Audible, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Audible and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.