Updated November 12th, 2019 at 13:16 IST
LeBron James slams AAU, says coaches don't care about the kids
In a recent interview with a sports website, LeBron James slammed the AAU for overworking young players, not actually teaching them, and not caring about them
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LeBron James recently slammed the AAU for not caring about the youngsters they train. After the debate on Kawhi Leonard missing a match due to load management, former Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson took to Twitter to voice his opinion about AAU. He said that the young players are suffering, and come into NBA injured and hurting as they play 12-15 games per weekend. He wrote that the players suffer later in life, and there needs to be more teaching and less playing. According to reports and NBA medical staff, the young players play without proper training without letting their body recover in time, which paves the way for injuries later on. James, who's two suns play with AAU, agreed with Watson.
Load management isn’t the toll of the NBA schedule, it’s the toll of youth travel basketball playing 12-15 games a weekend to keep the monthly fees validated! That hurts the players later in life & rookies are entering the NBA hurting! Youth hoops needs less games&more teaching!
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson)
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LeBron James slams the AAU for not caring about the children
While speaking to a sports website, James talked about basketball culture and AAU. James said that the kids reach the NBA already at their limit, and both parents and coaches need to be aware of that. However, he added that the coaches do not care about the kids and what their bodies are going through. James' sons, Bronny and Bryce, had five games in one day, which James thought was crazy. He admits that he is concerned for his own sons, and they will not play if they are too tired or sore. According to James, the format is not right. The games started at 9:00 AM and went on for hours, which left his children exhausted.
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A couple of years ago, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also made a statement about the situation. He had mentioned that they need to more involved with elite youth basketball, as the NBA has mainly stayed out of AAU's affairs. Since then, the NBA has been taking the necessary steps.
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Published November 12th, 2019 at 10:06 IST