NBA’s sit show not easy to put to rest

Kevin Durant once made us cry during his heartfelt MVP acceptance speech a few years ago. Anytime you call your mom the real MVP you win the crowd over.

But like any good story teller, Durant also has the gift of making us laugh. He’s good like that.

Remember last summer when Durant wrote a good-bye letter to Oklahoma City and said one of the reasons he was signing with the mighty Golden State Warriors was so he could “evolve” as a man? Yes, as if taking the path of least resistance to a championship somehow equates to becoming a real man.

We get it Kevin, you wanted to play with better players to increase your chances of winning multiple championships. That’s your right. Heck, LeBron James did it twice.

Well, Durant was at it again this week except this time he wasn’t completely off base. Durant told ESPN on Wednesday that the NBA’s concern over players resting targets just a handful of superstars.

“The truth about it is, it's only for a couple of players in the league,” Durant told ESPN. “They don’t care if the 13th man on the bench rests. It’s only for like LeBron (James), Steph (Curry), (James) Harden, Russell (Westbrook). It’s only for like five players. So you want a rule just for those five players?”

Let’s start here: I’m sure it warms Westbrook’s heart that Durant, who left Westbrook high and dry last summer, has got his back. But using Westbrook and Harden, leading candidates for league MVP, is misguided. They don’t belong on the NBA’s “superstars resting watch list.” Harden and Westbrook have played every game this season. They’re a little more old school NBA than a lot of today’s players.

Last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told league owners in a memo that resting marquee players has become “an extremely significant issue for our league.” He also encouraged owners to be more involved in the decision-making process.

The memo arrived days after LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sat out a nationally televised game against the Clippers. A few weeks earlier, Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green sat out a game against the Spurs, who didn’t have LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard available.

Those stars, with the exception of a rehabbing Durant, all played Wednesday’s game in San Antonio. The Warriors fell behind 15-0 but rallied for a win that all but clinches the best record. The game also drew the best overnight rating on ESPN this season, excluding Christmas.

Two great teams with marquee players attract viewers. Who knew? That’s Silver’s point. The superstars run the league and when they bail out of games for “maintenance” it hurts everyone.

“Players, if anything, need a mental break sometimes. And sorry, they’re human,” Durant told ESPN. “They go through so much every single day. There are so many obligations off the court that you don’t know about . ... It might not be a physical break, it might just be a reset mentally, and I get that.

“And I also get if I was a fan and could afford to get tickets, and I’m circling LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook on my calendar, I would want to see them play live. I would be disappointed as well. I see it from the fans’ perspective and the players’ perspective. I’m caught right in the middle.”

There is no simple solution. It’s a practice that is impossible to police. If the Cavs announce two hours before tipoff that LeBron is out with a tummy ache, the league can’t order him to play.

If the players want rest, give it to them. I would reduce the preseason to three games and start the regular season in mid-October. If each team plays five games over 16 to 18 days, that provides ample practice and rest time.

The players still get a week off for the All-Star break. The league should also give them off the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The NBA generates zero buzz that weekend, so go away for a few days. ow, every NBA team would know it has a built in four-day break in the middle of March. It also falls exactly one month before the playoffs begin.

This plan works because it not only targets Durant and the superstars but even the 13th man. It’s an all inclusive plan.

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