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NBA now considers 'load management' as rest, will confirm legitimate injuries

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The popular NBA term "load management" has a new meaning, according to the league: Rest.

In the wake of confusion this month over the Los Angeles Clippers' usage of Kawhi Leonard, load management now means a healthy player is taking the night off - and if skipping that particular game violates the league's resting policy, that team will be penalized, according to a league memo obtained by ESPN's Zach Lowe.

"What has been confusing - and I'm not picking on Kawhi - but 'load management' was one of the causes people put out for why he sat out, and it's not," NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell told Lowe. "He's an injured player."

The Clippers were cleared by the league to sit Leonard on one end of back-to-back games earlier this month to manage an ongoing leg issue, but were then fined $50,000 when coach Doc Rivers told reporters that his star player was feeling "great."

In addition to clearer lines being defined between injury and rest, the NBA's resting policy now prohibits teams from sitting healthy players in "high-profile" nationally-televised games, barring "unusual circumstances." The league prefers that if players rest, it be done for home contests that are only broadcast on local television.

Furthermore, the NBA has investigative authority to ensure teams aren't making up injuries. The league requires that teams submit documentary medical proof into a league-supervised portal.

"They get everything," an unidentified team medical staffer told ESPN.

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