Stephen A. Smith fires back at Adam Silver's 40-minute NBA plan

Stephen A. Smith counters Adam Silver's 40-minute idea with new NBA solution.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is considering cutting games from 48 minutes to 40 minutes.

The idea is to reduce wear and tear on players.

Silver believes less court time means fewer injuries and more stars available.

But Stephen A. Smith is not buying it.

The ESPN personality fired back on his YouTube channel.

"I think the priority should be eliminating as many back-to-back games as possible," Smith said.

He argues that the schedule itself is the real problem.

NBA teams still face an average of 14.2 back-to-backs during the 2026–27 season.

Some teams play as many as 16 back-to-backs.

That means playing games on consecutive nights, often in different cities.

Smith says that grind is what breaks players down.

Not the length of individual games.

The league has already made some changes.

It eliminated four-games-in-five-nights stretches from the regular-season schedule.

Teams also cannot simply rest their biggest stars whenever they choose.

Under the NBA's Player Participation Policy, teams generally cannot sit two designated star players in the same game without an approved exception.

Nationally televised games receive special protection.

Stars are generally expected to be available for those games.

Exceptions exist for injuries, personal circumstances and approved rest restrictions based on age, career workload or serious injury history.

But Smith says it is not enough.

He wants the league to go further.

Back-to-backs are a scheduling relic from when teams traveled by bus.

Today, teams fly private jets.

But the physical toll of playing two games in two nights remains high.

Studies have shown players perform worse on the second night.

Injury rates also increase.

Silver's 40-minute proposal would bring the NBA closer to international basketball.

FIBA games are 40 minutes long.

The NBA has been 48 minutes since its founding.

Some fans argue that cutting eight minutes changes the game's integrity.

Others say it would make the product better.

Fewer minutes means fewer commercials.

Games would be shorter.

That could help with TV ratings.

But Smith says the focus is wrong.

"Absolutely no one" is asking for shorter games, he implied.

What players want is more rest between games.

The debate is not new.

Silver has floated the 40-minute idea before.

In 2014, he mentioned it as a possibility.

In 2019, he said the league was studying it.

Now, in 2026, it is back on the table.

The timing is interesting.

Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton have both missed significant time this season.

Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves star, has dealt with injuries.

Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers guard, has also been sidelined.

Their absences have hurt their teams.

And they have highlighted the league's health problem.

Silver is looking for solutions.

But Smith says the solution is obvious.

Eliminate back-to-backs.

That would require a major scheduling overhaul.

The NBA season is 82 games long.

It runs from October to April.

Playoffs run through June.

Removing back-to-backs would either shorten the season or extend the calendar.

Both options have drawbacks.

Shortening the season means less revenue.

Extending the calendar pushes into summer.

That conflicts with other sports and events.

But Smith says it is worth it.

He argues that the quality of play would improve.

Stars would be healthier.

More games would feature top players.

The league has already moved in this direction.

In 2023, the NBA introduced the In-Season Tournament.

It added more competitive games.

But it also added more travel.

The Player Participation Policy was a response to load management.

Teams were sitting healthy stars for rest.

Fans complained.

The league stepped in.

Now, teams must have a valid reason to sit stars.

But back-to-backs still force tough choices.

Coaches have to decide whether to play a star on both nights.

Or rest them in one game.

Smith wants to take that decision away.

He wants a schedule where no team plays on consecutive nights.

That would be a radical change.