On Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver got people talking when he said he liked the idea of 10-minute quarters in the league.
He claimed that having shorter quarters would help the NBA be more like the rest of the global basketball community and would also be better for television audiences.
Many people spoke about that idea, including Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
While talking to Stefan Bondy, Malone made his thoughts very clear.
“I hope we don’t go to 10-minute quarters… I hope we don’t go to the four-point line. I hope we don’t become Barnum & Bailey where we’re just having to do whatever we have to do to keep viewership,” Malone said, via Legion Hoops.
Michael Malone:
“I hope we don’t go to 10-minute quarters… I hope we don’t go to the four-point line. I hope we don’t become Barnum & Bailey where we’re just having to do whatever we have to do to keep viewership.”
(via @SbondyNBA) pic.twitter.com/YkWPS9fkeO
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 30, 2025
The 10-minute quarter isn’t the only potential change the league has been looking at.
Because of lagging ratings, Silver and his team have been contemplating how to enthuse the audience and drive higher viewership.
They have toyed with the idea of tweaking rules around three-point shots too, because many people feel the excess of threes has hurt the game.
Malone doesn’t sound keen on any of those concepts, thinking that the NBA would make a mistake by trying to win over viewers instead of just focusing on making a good product for fans.
Taking two minutes off of each quarter would definitely be better for television networks that air the games, but would it really help the quality of modern basketball?
Silver has his work cut out for him with his quest to improve the sport, and he should expect to hear pushback from fans, players, and coaches at every step of the way.
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