The deputy commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, says that the 66-game season is on its way out.
This isn’t much of a surprise, as the shortened season was only in place due to the lockout. Still, with ratings up and attendance about the same as it was last season, there have been rumblings that the league might switch permanently to the shorter schedule.
Silver was quick to squash this rumor.
“If you cut the season shorter, we cut our revenues significantly as well. Players would make less, so no, and I think it’s not optimal to play a condensed season in this fashion,” Silver told the Associated Press.
Obviously, the 82-game season has been standard for the NBA since the 1967-68 season with just two exceptions (1998-99 and this season, both due to league lockouts).
Still, Silver says that despite the shortened schedule this year the teams and players have done a good job of adjusting to 66 games.
“I think it’s turned out OK,” Silver said, “but again, we prefer the 82-game season to the 66-game season.”
The players will most likely agree, as more games means higher salaries. Also, in non-lockout seasons they have more time between games, so the physical strain of 82 games isn’t as intense as sprinting through 66 games in four months like they did this year.