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You’re thinking of the NFL preseason where injury chances are 20x higher

They have always played pre-season, pretty vital part of getting players ready for the season tbh

It’s not uncommon for stars to play light minutes in the preseason to establish chemistry and get their legs under them. They obviously don’t care about the results nor their performances as much as they do about just getting run on the court before the season starts, but it’s always been the norm for them to at least start most of these games, assuming they’re healthy.

Stars have always played some, Kobe and Steph had some memorable moments in a preseason game

Gotta develop some rhythm

Are you thinking of summer league?

Preseason is very different

It’s been happening way before this year lol what

Star players participate every pre-season, just in a limited capacity. It’s important to get reps in, you can’t just jump into the season without experiencing some nba level competition.

in my experience they’ve always played in preseason besides the ones that think they’re too good for preseason (jimmy butler)

because if they didn’t you would be posting asking why they aren’t playing

They've always played. I do think teams like the Warriors playing multiple extended minute games with their stars is a little different but they're also a team that made multiple changes to their roster and took the time to develop chemistry amongst these additions. Rookies have always played.

So you've never watched pre-season before?

What are you smoking lol? They always play preseason

To get in shape

The world is changing....

Maybe you are thinking of summer league. Stars have always played in preseason, although usually slightly limited.

Stars have always played in preseason games. There is ALWAYS risk of injury, you risk injuries in the weight room, in practice, or in scrimmages as well. Heck you have guys getting injured in their own homes walking around. You can’t just put a bubble wrap around players