NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tossed out an idea driving conversation around the league on the “Dan Patrick Show” this week: shortening game action from 48 minutes to 40. Honestly, it’s just a start when it comes to improving the modern professional game.
“I’m probably in the minority. As we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes,” Silver said. “I am a fan of four 10-minute quarters. I’m not sure that many others are, and putting aside what it means for records and things like that, I think that a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits.”
Silver’s pitch was in response to a prompt from the host, Patrick, about the “wildest thing” considered by league leaders. He also mentioned the possibility of awarding just two free throws for fouls on three-point shot attempts, but circled back to shortening the games again later in the interview.
“If you went to a 40-minute game, with the issues around load management and resting, it would be the equivalent of, I don’t know the exact math, of taking, like, 15 games off the season. And I don’t think most fans would be disappointed if it was a two-hour presentation,” he said.
Load management has been one of the biggest issues plaguing the NBA since Silver took the wheel in 2014. The inconsistencies of lineups and rest big stars require to stay healthy for the playoffs after an 82-game season is a frustrating turnoff for fans, especially when it impacts what’s scheduled to be a big regular season matchup between two teams. Out of 10 players just honored as All-Star starters this season, only two – Jalen Brunson and Jayson Tatum – rank in the top 10 total minutes played thus far.
Reports about low ratings early in the season raised eyebrows.
However, the league released much more positive data from its marquee Christmas Day slate. Viewership was up 84% compared to the previous year, making it the most-watched Christmas Day in five years. The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors averaged 7.76 million viewers, up 499% compared to the same time slot the year before.
The NBA is a star-driven league. When the stars sit out, the product loses substantial value. When viewers know the individuals and the matchups, they’ll watch.
The idea of fewer games during the regular season could boost the eventization of the league, but it’s unrealistic considering the revenue lost to advertises. The NFL will always benefit from its teams playing just one game a week, even though they continue to find new days of the week to try to conquer. The NBA is closer to the NHL and even the MLB, whose recent rule changes have inspired the commissioner:
“I’ve used the pitch clock and increasing the size of the bases in meetings at the NBA to say, ‘If baseball is more locked into tradition, and I don’t mean that negatively, than any other sport, part of what baseball provides is the tradition and legacy and that if they’re able to make those changes then certainly we shouldn’t be afraid to look at those changes as well.’”
According to the MLB, the 2024 season “recorded increases in attendance, viewership, streaming, and fan engagement in its second season of new rules which have shortened games.” The league boasted “double digit growth in the Adult 18-34 category including ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (+12%), FS1 (+24%) and MLB Network (+36%).”
Every sport evolves and keeping the format stagnant while sharp minds exploit analytics and loopholes eventually creates a predictable product from an entertainment perspective. Simply put, games can’t be solved like a math equation. And as for the sanctity of history and record books, it’s not the first dramatic rule change imposed on the professional format. The 24-second shot clock was introduced in 1954, the court’s lane was widened in 1964, hand-checking was allowed in 1976, the three-point line was added in 1979, and in 2004, hand-checking was curtailed.
Silver demurred from any discussion about increased three-point attempts degrading the entertainment value of NBA Games, and said, “I don’t necessarily buy into the premise that it will be a better game if you eliminated three-point shooting.”
Whether fans love or hate the significance of three-pointers in the modern game, it’s a good sign that the commissioner is enthusiastic about embracing potential changes to improve the sport’s relevance. Let shortening the games be the beginning.