Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Gregg Popovich agree rest unrest fixable
DALLAS -
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he'd be willing to cut his own salary if the NBA shortened the schedule as a potential solution to the issue of stars resting during regular-season games as preventative maintenance.
"I wouldn't be opposed to it, even at the expense to my own salary, but it's something that everyone would have to agree to," Kerr said before Tuesday's game against the
Dallas Mavericks. "I think even just going down to 75 games, I think that would make a dramatic difference in schedule. Now I don't see that happening because there is money at stake for everybody.
"I do think this can be remedied though -- maybe not remedied -- but I think it can be dramatically helped with what the league is already working on for next year and the consideration of geographics when it comes to the schedule."
The subject is a hot-button issue in part because the Warriors and
Cleveland Cavaliers sat their best players in the last two ABC Saturday night games. Those games are showcase events in the nine-year, $24 billion national television deal the NBA signed with ESPN, ABC and Turner Sports.
LeBron weighs in on NBA's rest conundrum
Cavs star LeBron James addressed the NBA's growing concern over teams resting healthy players and the threat of "significant penalties" if the practice continues.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver called the practice of resting stars "an extremely significant issue for our league" in a memo sent to team owners and
obtained by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Silver's memo stated that the issue would be a prime topic of discussion during the league's board of governors meeting April 6 in New York and implored owners to be involved in the decision-making process on this issue due to the impact it can have on the NBA's "fans and business partners," the reputation of the league and "perception of our game."
"I thought [the memo] was smart," said Kerr, whose team wrapped up a grueling stretch of schedule with a back-to-back in Minnesota and San Antonio when the Warriors' stars rested against the Spurs. "I think this is something that every organization needs to partner together with the league and our broadcasting partners and figure out what's best for everybody. We all have the same interests at heart, which is we need to do what's best for the league. But there are great arguments on every side.
"I do feel bad for the fans. I also know resting those guys last week was something that was beneficial and I think it's shown to be so this past week. You can see our guys are fresher, their legs. So what can we all do, together? And I think that's where Adam is really good in terms of taking a lot of opinions and finding solutions. This is not a right or wrong issue. It's what can we do to best serve the league, best serve the player's health. Is there a compromise?
"We're already working on that by extending the season next year by 7-10 days. I think that's going to be very helpful and I think the broadcast partners and the league can pay closer attention to the schedule when it comes out next year as they put that together. These are all things that we all have to work on."
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who is credited with popularizing use of strategic rest, is happy that both sides want to find a way to remedy the situation.
"Luckily all the participants are sane people and care about the same thing and want to get it right," Popovich said Tuesday night.
"It's not about anybody having power or wanting to issue orders. It's about trying to get it right. That's the great thing about the league and what we're doing. It's all good."
