Nets fans filled the Barclays Center hoping that the visiting Lakers would be boasting their premier stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but fans instead were treated to a game that didn't include either of those two players, nor did Kevin Durant or Ben Simmons see the floor.
Brooklyn's two key absences were already known, but the Lakers sat both James and Davis, as the two are hopeful to play on Tuesday night against the Knicks at MSG, the second half of a back-to-back.
For Gio and Jerry, sitting stars in visiting arenas is a major issue.
"This has been a problem for a very long time," Jerry said. "Let's say you want to go tonight. The worst seats, the cheapest seats on secondary ticket markets are $212 before fees. That means if you want to get four tickets to go see LeBron tonight, you're shelling out $1,000 for four people.
"Now you spend $1,000 to go see LeBron James, and LeBron James doesn't play. Please don't call up and say, 'Well, sometimes when you buy tickets to a Broadway show, you get the understudy.' Not interested. This is real sports, real life. They get paid to play, and they don't all the time. And it stinks."
Load management has been a sour point for fans in recent years, as many buy tickets to see the game's best in their city, only for them to take the night off. Steph Curry was asked about it this week and said those decisions are made by the coaching and training staff, not the players themselves, but however it happens, something needs to be done.
"The NBA tried to change this, and they've done some things to mitigate this stuff," Gio said. "But there's still gonna be times, especially during a back-to-back."
So, what else can be done to ensure fans in visiting cities don't spend hundreds of dollars to try and see LeBron James before he retires, only to watch him ride the pine? Jerry has one potential solution.
"Rest days at home only," Jerry said. "When you have 40-plus chances to see a guy, as opposed to when you go into a city once, and people are paying premium process to see him."
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