LeBron James discussing the connection between the NBA's 'Load Management' quandary and the wear & tear of AAU basketball: “These kids are going into the league already banged up and I think parents and coaches need to know that AAU coaches don’t give a f**k. AAU coaches couldn’t give a damn about a kid and what his body is going through... There was a case study where I read a report and it was talking about the causes and kids' bodies already being broken down, and they attributed it to AAU basketball and how many games that these tournaments are having for the financial benefit... A lot of these tournaments don’t have the best interest of these kids, man."
Doug Gottlieb: “Did you guys hear what LeBron said about load management?? [laughs]… Does anybody understand what LeBron James is doing?? There is no factual data that points that out. I coach AAU basketball and I absolutely care about my kids… If you’re a college level player those coaches absolutely care too. Nobody gets rich coaching AAU basketball, LeBron. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard and LeBron continues to utter absolute nonsense. People just drink it up like it’s soup... Another dumb and misinformed statement from LeBron James."
Listen to Doug Gottlieb blast Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James after the opinionated face of the NBA piggy-backed off comments former NBA player Earl Watson said about the parallels between the NBA’s ‘Load Management’ quandary and the supposed reckless usage of AAU players.
During in interview with Chris B. Haynes of Yahoo Sports, LeBron backed up Watson’s sentiments in a major way, saying AAU coaches ‘don’t give a f**k’ about kids’ bodies being broken down, are only interested in the financial benefit of big ticket AAU tournaments featuring budding blue chip recruits.
LeBron agrees with Watson, that load management in the pros is the result from years of overuse in the AAU ranks by reckless coaches.
Gottlieb says LeBron’s valiant statement sounds great on Twitter but it resides completely in the realms of fiction, saying it was the ‘dumbest thing I’ve ever heard’ and adding ‘this was another misinformed statement from LeBron.’
Check out the audio below, as Gottlieb, an AAU basketball himself, drills LeBron for his latest fling as a social justice warrior.
,quality(10),blur(50))