Mike Conley was at home relaxing when he saw his Timberwolves teammate Anthony Edwards take a verbal sledgehammer to the concept of load management at the NBA's All-Star Game festivities.
Edwards' blunt comments gave Conley a sheepish reaction, like someone who just passed gas in church.
"Oh shoot, I took a few games off here and there the last few years," Conley said, smiling. "But I'm 35."
Edwards is 21 and full of vigor. He hasn't missed a game this season and leads the NBA in minutes played.
The hope here is that his passion for the game never dims, that Ant remains the player who wants to play forevermore — so passionate about basketball and accepting of his status as a star that he wants to be in the lineup every night.