Adam Silver on reducing NBA season: 'There's nothing magical about 82 games'

For 50 years, NBA teams have played an 82-game season, but with continued conversations about the league playing internationally, NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he's open to shortening the regular season.

"There's nothing magical about 82 games," Silver told USA Today. "It's been in place for 50 years, but for the long-term planning of the league, as we learn more about the human body and the wear and tear of travel and the competitive landscape ... invariably we’ll look at the regular season. And in looking at the regular season, it may create more opportunities for international franchises.”

The concern for coaches has become finding enough time to rest their players to prevent injuries and maximize production on the court. An 82-game schedule could be too taxing once intercontinental travel gets factored into the schedule.

“We can play games in China and Europe, or occasional preseason games as a one-off, but under existing airline technology, the planes aren’t fast enough to at least play in the current framework of our regular season,” Silver said. “(But) it may be something we’ll be looking at over the coming years, is what a regular-season schedule looks like a decade from now."

If the league does reduce the number of regular-season games to create room for more international travel, then this could create challenges that the franchises will have to discuss. Fewer games could reduce revenue and be a tough sell for the owners.