• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 15, 2025

Adam Silver Says NBA Is Happy With Its 65-Game Participation Policy

  • Injuries heavily impacted the Eastern Conference playoffs.
  • The commissioner said it remains an issue that the league and players’ union continue to look at.
Nov 6, 2023; San Francisco, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledges the crowd before a press conference to announce the selection of the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Bay Area to host the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center.
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 of the NBA Finals was highlighted by the return of Celtics forward Kristaps Porziņģis, who scored 20 points in as many minutes after sustaining a lower leg injury in the first round. His absence over the past month was part of a broader theme.

In the NBA’s first season of its participation policy, which required players to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for honors, accolades, and therefore bigger contracts, it appeared to be effective as the league’s stars had a relatively healthy regular season. But it caught up in the playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jimmy Butler got injured in the postseason and missed significant time, which impacted their respective series. 

Stars missing in action can have a domino effect on ratings, ticket sales, merchandise, etc. According to Sports Business Journal, the NBA’s playoff viewership is down 13% from last year when stars such as LeBron James were playing as late as the conference finals. 

Speaking to the media before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver backed the policy and said the postseason injuries weren’t out of the ordinary. 

“When it comes to injury data, we’re constantly studying it, trying to see if there’s more than correlation and there’s actually causation,” Silver said. “Of course, this past season, even though we had the 65-game rule, largely designed to keep star players on the floor, we had a decrease in injury in star players. 

“I’m not standing here saying one followed from the other. It just may be happenstance for this season. I think we saw injuries, of course, in the playoffs this year, but nothing that out of range with injuries we’ve seen in the past.”

Silver said keeping players on the floor remains a priority, and it’s an issue he continues to discuss with Andre Iguodala, the new National Basketball Players Association executive director. He added that Iguodala brings a unique perspective to the issue compared to past directors, who came from legal backgrounds, as he’s a former All-Star and four-time champion. 

“I will say just based on one season of data, we’re happy with the 65-game rule,” Silver said. “There was sort of a parade of horribles that had rolled out, that had been rolled out, that everybody was saying, were threatening were going to happen. Those things didn’t happen.

“In terms of not just a reduction in star player injuries this year, but it worked to the extent we saw star players on the floor more. That was the goal.”

Silver said injuries are “an area that confounds us in some ways” as they are random and can go against data and added he’s unsure whether there’s a correlation with the playoff injuries. It’s an issue he will continue to look at with the union given its ramifications. 

“We have the same incentives, and that is to keep star players on the floor.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.

Caitlin Clark Return Draws Sellout 15 Hours After Pacers Finals Game

Fever TV ratings dropped significantly while Clark was out.

Thunder Win Sets Up First 6-Game NBA Finals in 4 Years

It will be the first Finals series of at least six games since 2022.
Tennessee wide receiver Grant Frerking (0) drills during fall practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

Ex-Tennessee Football Player, On3 Staffer Accused of Financial Scams

Grant Frerking parted ways with On3 amid “allegations of criminal misconduct.”

Featured Today

Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros
June 4, 2025

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Hilary Knight

The PWHL Badly Wants Parity. At What Cost?

The expansion draft has turned Seattle and Vancouver into instant title contenders. 
June 13, 2025

From NFL to PGA Tour: How Brian Rolapp Could Reshape Golf

Brian Rolapp is set to become the PGA Tour’s first CEO.
Napheesa Collier
exclusive
June 13, 2025

WNBA Union Left Out of Ion Talks, Wants Say in Future Deals

Ion has aired the WNBA since 2023.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 13, 2025

Swift-Eh? NHL Hopes Taylor’s Magic Touch Boosts the Stanley Cup Final

The pop superstar got emotional about the Oilers’ overtime win Thursday.
June 12, 2025

Potential Goodell Successor Brian Rolapp Leaves NFL for PGA CEO Job

Rolapp is the architect of the NFL’s 11-year, $111 billion media deals.
1895 Club
June 12, 2025

A U.S. Open Club Costs $1,800 per Day. It’s Sold Out

The 1895 Club, which costs $1,800 per day, is in its second year.
June 12, 2025

Ice, Ice, Maybe: Atlanta’s $3B NHL Arena Project Approved

The growing Georgia market advances its push to land an expansion franchise.