NEW YORK — Whenever the NBA introduces a new wrinkle to its traditions or floats a radical business idea, Michael Malone never neglects to credit the league for thinking proactively.
Then he gets to his personal opinion on the matter.
It’s often a healthy skepticism.
“I hope we don’t go to 10-minute quarters,” the 10th-year Nuggets coach said this week in response to commissioner Adam Silver’s endorsement of a reduced game. “I hope we don’t put in a 4-point line. I hope we don’t become Barnum & Bailey, where we’re just doing whatever you have to do to keep viewership. Because there’s a history and a greatness to this game and a purity to this game that we can find a way to stay true to.”
During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Silver noted that he’s probably in the minority but described himself as “a fan” of four 10-minute quarters. He pointed out that the NBA is the only league that plays a 48-minute game, in contrast to international competition and the NCAA.
“Putting aside what it means for records and things like that, I think a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with sort of modern television habits,” Silver said. “People in arenas aren’t asking us to shorten the game, but I think as a television program, being two hours, that’s Olympic basketball.”
The informal proposal was swiftly met with a chorus of criticism from the coaching community. “Not a fan,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said bluntly. “That’s not a good idea. We are the premier league, in the NBA. Why are we conforming to anyone else? It’s not a good idea.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, 67, acknowledged that his perspective is old-school while saying “I’d hate to see that.” As for Malone? He’s only 53, but he also tends to side with the traditional.
He rejected the notion that Denver has a modern-day rivalry with the 76ers or Timberwolves earlier this month when informed of the league’s efforts to market multiple Nuggets games as part of Rivals Week. He memorably called the 2023 All-Star Game the worst game ever played after coaching in it. And when he was first asked about Silver’s comments on Wednesday, his eyes narrowed at the thought of a shortened game.
“I guess just catching me on the fly, I would say, ‘Why?’” he asked the room of reporters, which explained the audience-based rationale.
“I don’t know. Do people even watch games on TV anymore? Serious question,” he said. “There’s all these streaming services, and I think people are watching the NBA differently now than they did 20 years ago. It was, you turn to your local TV station, you watch your local team, then you’ve got ESPN and all that. Now, how many young people watch games on TV in its entirety? They consume the game in a much different manner.”
The Nuggets joined the trend of sports franchises debuting subscription streaming services before this season. Altitude+ is operated by the team-owned regional sports network that broadcasts Nuggets and Avalanche games, available for a monthly rate of $19.95 in Denver.
“I give the league credit in terms of this,” Malone said, going to his usual refrain. “They’re always trying to figure out ways to keep the fans engaged, and to keep the league and the game in a great spot.”
While coaches’ news conferences around the league continued to buzz with other reactions, the Nuggets went on to play two games that aired nationally on ESPN. The irony of a hypothetical condensed-for-TV game was palpable.
In both New York and Philadelphia, opening tip was 10 minutes late.
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