NBA commissioner Adam Silver could also be a fan of 10-minute quarters, however Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone will not be.
The 2 veteran coaches voiced their issues concerning the thought of shortening NBA video games to spice up tv viewership earlier than the Knicks’ 122-112 victory over Denver at Madison Sq. Backyard on Wednesday.
“I’m probably more traditional, so I’d hate to see that. That’s just a personal [bias] — I haven’t really thought about it just because of the records and things of that nature,” Thibodeau mentioned. “I think we have a great game. I think what people want to see is competition. And when you study what’s transpired over time, there’s always been different styles of play. … But what goes into winning is the same, and what the fans enjoy is great competition. So I think if we focus on the competition aspect of it, everything else will fall into place.”
Malone was much more direct, warning the league in opposition to turning to gimmicks to regain tv audiences. There have been murmurs across the league about potential radical modifications to the NBA’s rulebook — starting from eliminating the nook three to including a four-point line and even lowering the variety of free throws awarded on three-point taking pictures fouls from three to 2.
“I hope we don’t go to 10-minute quarters. I hope we don’t go to the four-point line,” Malone mentioned Thursday. “I hope we don’t become Barnum and Bailey where we’re just having to do whatever we have to do to keep viewership. Because there is a history and greatness to this game, and a purity to this game, and I hope we can find a way to stay true to that.”
Their feedback are available response to Silver’s look on The Dan Patrick Present on Tuesday, the place the commissioner floated the concept of shortening quarters as a strategy to align with worldwide and collegiate competitors. His response got here in response to Patrick’s query about potential modifications league officers have thought-about for the way forward for the sport.
“As we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes. And I would be — I am — a fan of four 10-minute quarters,” Silver mentioned. “I’m not sure that many others are. Putting aside what it means for records and things like that, yeah, I think that a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits.”
The NBA has been exploring methods to take care of engagement as TV scores fluctuate. Whereas the NFL additionally noticed a dip in regular-season viewership (down 2% year-over-year), MLB’s viewership spiked following the implementation of a pitch clock, which helped pace up the tempo of play.
“I think of a television program being two hours, Olympic basketball being two hours,” mentioned Silver. “NBA game have a 15-year average of 2 hours and 15 minutes. “And college basketball, of course, is 40 minutes.”
ESPN additionally reported a 26% decline in viewership within the month of November.
Thibodeau stays steadfast in his perception that the NBA recreation doesn’t want fixing, whereas Malone believes the league ought to look past quarter size when inspecting why TV scores have modified.
“Do people watch the games on TV anymore? Serious question,” Malone mentioned. “With all these streaming services, I think people are watching the NBA differently now than they did 20 years ago. … How many young people watch games on TV? They consume the game in a much different manner. I give the league credit in terms of this — they are always trying to figure out ways to keep the fans engaged and to keep the league and the team in a great spot.”
The NBA introduced a brand new media rights deal price $76 billion with Walt Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video through the offseason. The deal, which begins with the 2025-26 NBA season, will stretch via 2035-36.
