NBA commissioner Adam Silver may be a fan of 10-minute quarters, but Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone are not.
The two veteran coaches voiced their concerns about the idea of shortening NBA games to boost television viewership before the Knicks’ 122-112 victory over Denver at Madison Square Garden 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 said. “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 even more direct, warning the league against turning to gimmicks to regain television audiences. There have been murmurs around the league about potential radical changes to the NBA’s rulebook — ranging from eliminating the corner three to adding a four-point line or even reducing the number of free throws awarded on three-point shooting fouls from three to two.
“I hope we don’t go to 10-minute quarters. I hope we don’t go to the four-point line,” Malone said 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 comments come in response to Silver’s appearance on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday, where the commissioner floated the idea of shortening quarters as a way to align with international and collegiate competition. His response came in reaction to Patrick’s question about potential changes league officials have considered for the future of the game.
“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 said. “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 ways to maintain engagement as TV ratings fluctuate. While the NFL also saw a dip in regular-season viewership (down 2% year-over-year), MLB’s viewership spiked following the implementation of a pitch clock, which helped speed up the pace of play.
“I think of a television program being two hours, Olympic basketball being two hours,” said Silver. “NBA game have a 15-year average of 2 hours and 15 minutes. “And college basketball, of course, is 40 minutes.”
ESPN also reported a 26% decline in viewership in the month of November.
Thibodeau remains steadfast in his belief that the NBA game doesn’t need fixing, while Malone believes the league should look beyond quarter length when examining why TV ratings have changed.
“Do people watch the games on TV anymore? Serious question,” Malone said. “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 announced a new media rights deal worth $76 billion with Walt Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video during the offseason. The deal, which begins with the 2025-26 NBA season, will stretch through 2035-36.
