PK Subban absolutely rips the NBA in an impassioned speech in support of the 4 Nations tournament

Normally I wouldn't give a shoutout to ESPN for the miserable job that they do in promoting the NHL, but today I got to give it up for PK Subban.

On a segment concerning the NBA and the growing use of 'load management' in the league, Subban ripped things apart by comparing the heart of the NBA's players to those of the NHL's players. For those unfamiliar with 'load management' it's essentially a term devised by NBA general managers to soften the schedule for their team's biggest stars.

The NBA has threatened to fine or penalize teams because they are so blatantly sitting players out just to rest, even if they aren't injured. Just imagine you pay hundreds of dollars to take your family to an Edmonton Oilers game and you find out 20 minutes before the game that Connor McDavid is a healthy scratch just so he can have a night off. Well... that happens nightly in the NBA. LeBron James, Steph Curry... all the big stars do it. Draymond Green insists that he won't play back to back games.

Subban points to a cultural difference between the two sports and that hockey culture wouldn't allow the players to sit by and watch their teammates just so that they can get a night off.

Listen to Subban himself:

Hell ya, PK! I couldn't have said it any better myself!

Incidentally, a fan online asked the Phoenix Sun' Kevin Durant what the NBA needs to do to win back fans who have shifted to the NHL given that hockey players actually play with passion.

KD's response?

Go watch hockey.

Are you for real? 

You have an entire fanbase tell you that the NBA stinks because the players don't care and you're encouraging them to go watch hockey?

You don't have to tell me twice, KD. I know what I'll be doing come Thursday evening... just like most sports fans. Have fun riding off into the sunset of your career in your increasingly irrelevant sport.