The Toronto Raptors have locked down the lord of load management.
The team announced Tuesday that it signed Alex McKechnie to a contract extension and promoted to him to vice president, player health and performance. McKechnie is regarded as one of the top athletic trainers and rehab and conditioning specialists in the NBA.
Last season he was the organization's point person on managing Kawhi Leonard, who was recovering from a quad tendon injury that led to his departure from San Antonio.
Part of this process was coining the phrase "load management" as an explanation for why Leonard rested for 20 games during the 2018-19 regular season. It quickly became a trend across the sports landscape.
Though he dealt with knee tendinitis during the playoffs, Leonard's strong postseason play led the Raptors to the championship.
McKechnie, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, first gained attention in the NBA when he helped Shaquille O'Neal through an abdominal injury in 1997 using advanced techniques. He was later hired by the Los Angeles Lakers and worked with Kobe Bryant through his knee injuries.
He won five rings with the Lakers but in 2011, when the lockout gripped the NBA, the Lakers let his contract expire. The Raptors hired him as director of sports science and he won his sixth ring with the franchise in June.
