NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has expressed support for the idea of potentially shortening games from their current duration of 48 minutes to 40 minutes. During an appearance on 'The Dan Patrick Show,' Silver noted, 'As we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes. I am a fan of four 10-minute quarters,' indicating that he believes a shorter game format aligns better with contemporary viewing habits.

Silver highlighted the differing lengths of games in other basketball competitions, mentioning that Olympic basketball games are typically two hours long and college basketball games run for 40 minutes. While the audience in arenas has not requested changes to game length, Silver argues that a two-hour broadcast format may cater more effectively to television audiences.

While acknowledging that a reduction in game time would represent a 'dramatic change' requiring thorough discussion, Silver noted that the NBA has previously embraced modifications, such as the introduction of the Play-In Tournament and the in-season Emirates NBA Cup. Furthermore, shortening game duration could significantly reduce the total minutes in an NBA season, potentially enhancing player safety by mitigating fatigue and injuries, a growing concern among teams and players alike.