Tom Thibodeau, Mike Malone aren’t fans of NBA commish Adam Silver’s 10-minute quarters idea

NBA commissioner Adam Silver whitethorn beryllium a instrumentality of 10-minute quarters, but Knicks caput manager Tom Thibodeau and Denver Nuggets caput manager Mike Malone are not.

The 2 seasoned coaches voiced their concerns astir the thought of shortening NBA games to boost tv viewership earlier the Knicks’ 122-112 victory implicit Denver astatine Madison Square Garden connected Wednesday.

“I’m astir apt much traditional, truthful I’d hatred to spot that. That’s conscionable a idiosyncratic [bias] — I haven’t truly thought astir it conscionable due to the fact that of the records and things of that nature,” Thibodeau said. “I deliberation we person a large game. I deliberation what radical privation to spot is competition. And erstwhile you survey what’s transpired implicit time, there’s ever been antithetic styles of play. … But what goes into winning is the same, and what the fans bask is large competition. So I deliberation if we absorption connected the contention facet of it, everything other volition autumn into place.”

Malone was adjacent much direct, informing the league against turning to gimmicks to regain tv audiences. There person been murmurs astir the league astir imaginable extremist changes to the NBA’s rulebook — ranging from eliminating the country 3 to adding a four-point enactment oregon adjacent reducing the fig of escaped throws awarded connected three-point shooting fouls from 3 to two.

“I anticipation we don’t spell to 10-minute quarters. I anticipation we don’t spell to the four-point line,” Malone said Thursday. “I anticipation we don’t go Barnum and Bailey wherever we’re conscionable having to bash immoderate we person to bash to support viewership. Because determination is simply a past and greatness to this game, and a purity to this game, and I anticipation we tin find a mode to enactment existent to that.”

Their comments travel successful effect to Silver’s quality connected The Dan Patrick Show connected Tuesday, wherever the commissioner floated the thought of shortening quarters arsenic a mode to align with planetary and collegiate competition. His effect came successful absorption to Patrick’s question astir imaginable changes league officials person considered for the aboriginal of the game.

“As we get much progressive successful planetary basketball, the NBA is the lone league that plays 48 minutes. And I would beryllium — I americium — a instrumentality of 4 10-minute quarters,” Silver said. “I’m not definite that galore others are. Putting speech what it means for records and things similar that, yeah, I deliberation that a two-hour format for a crippled is much accordant with modern tv habits.”

The NBA has been exploring ways to support engagement arsenic TV ratings fluctuate. While the NFL besides saw a dip successful regular-season viewership (down 2% year-over-year), MLB’s viewership spiked pursuing the implementation of a transportation clock, which helped velocity up the gait of play.

“I deliberation of a tv programme being 2 hours, Olympic hoops being 2 hours,” said Silver. “NBA crippled person a 15-year mean of 2 hours and 15 minutes. “And assemblage basketball, of course, is 40 minutes.”

ESPN besides reported a 26% diminution successful viewership successful the period of November.

Thibodeau remains steadfast successful his content that the NBA crippled doesn’t request fixing, portion Malone believes the league should look beyond 4th magnitude erstwhile examining wherefore TV ratings person changed.

“Do radical ticker the games connected TV anymore? Serious question,” Malone said. “With each these streaming services, I deliberation radical are watching the NBA otherwise present than they did 20 years ago. … How galore young radical ticker games connected TV? They devour the crippled successful a overmuch antithetic manner. I springiness the league recognition successful presumption of this — they are ever trying to fig retired ways to support the fans engaged and to support the league and the squad successful a large spot.”

The NBA announced a caller media rights woody worthy $76 cardinal with Walt Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video during the offseason. The deal, which begins with the 2025-26 NBA season, volition agelong done 2035-36.