In a segment on his ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, Lakers superstar LeBron James suggested some changes for NBA games. With the approval of his co-host, Steve Nash, James advised the league to consider shortening the length from 48 minutes to 40 minutes to increase the intensity of each and every moment on the court.
“The 40-minute game is intriguing,” said James. “The games happen so fast, and there’s no easing into an international game. That gives it a little bit more of a sense of urgency. So that would be something we could have a conversation about. It would be hard because once you start messing with the history of the game, but that’s something that can be talked about, too.”
The NBA is in an interesting spot right now. While the Lakers just sold for the highest price by a team in sports history ($10 billion), ratings across the league are on the decline due to what many claim is a broken product. For James, shortening the game length is one solution, and another is incorporating FIBA’s goaltending rule.
“I’ve also been very intrigued by the goaltending [rule]. I actually love it. It’s exciting, and it doesn’t happen as much as you would think. Even when you’re playing against the international guys, and this is their rule, there are times where the ball is tinkering around the rim and you go ‘Oh I should have gotten it!’ It’s harder than it looks.”
As a 3x Olympic gold medalist, LeBron has years of experience playing international basketball, and it seems he likes many things about how they run their games. Besides their passion and run-time, he also likes the physicality of their games and wants to see that style of play more often in the NBA scene.
When it comes to goaltending, LeBron also clearly prefers the FIBA rules. In the NBA, it’s called a goaltend when a player interferes with a shot on its downward trajectory or while it’s within the imaginary cylinder above the rim. International rules say that a ball is live once it hits the rim, meaning it can be blocked or grabbed by any player, even if it’s still within the cylinder.
This would add a whole new layer to NBA defenses and give teams a chance to offer some more resistance around the rim. At the very least, it would be a direct answer to the rising scoring numbers in the modern NBA. For LeBron, it would be a chance for him to make a bigger difference defensively and potentially lead the Lakers to another title run.
The 40-minute game idea also has a lot of benefits, including a decreased workload and risk of injury for the players. It would make each minute of the game more important, giving a more competitive viewing experience for the fans. It might also help preserve the durability of players, which has become an increasingly bigger problem over the years.
As he nears the end of his career, LeBron is unlikely to see these changes added before he steps away, but it’s possible that these comments might help encourage the NBA to consider these changes. If LeBron James believes in them, there might be something there that enhances the sport for everyone.
