Steve Kerr urges 10-game cut to NBA season, citing health and competitiveness
steve-kerr-calls-for-72-game-nba-season
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reiterated on Monday, March 10, 2026, that the NBA should shorten its regular season from 82 to 72 games, arguing the change would create a healthier and more competitive league.
Speaking after the Warriors’ 129-126 road loss to the Utah Jazz, Kerr told reporters the current schedule’s pace and travel demands are unsustainable. “It’s obvious we need to play fewer games,” he said. “We need to take 10 games off the schedule.”
Kerr conceded the proposal would reduce revenue but maintained the long-term benefits outweigh the cost. “I get it, it’s revenue, and you’d have to agree to let everyone get a little less money, and that’s really hard to do,” he noted. “But I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games.”
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porziņģis against Utah, their fourth loss in five outings as they fight to stay in the playoff picture. Kerr has repeatedly linked rising injury totals to the league’s record pace of play and grueling travel schedule; in November he pointed out that an extended road trip left his team without a single practice.
Data from ESPN Research underscores the increased workload. Teams are averaging 115.2 points per game, the highest mark since 1969-70, while player-tracking numbers show athletes covering 37.1 miles per game at an average speed of 4.29 mph—both records since tracking began in 2013-14.
Kerr also connected the 82-game format to tanking, a topic back in the spotlight after the league fined the Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for actions the NBA said compromised competitive integrity. Advocates of a shorter calendar argue fewer games would reduce both injury risk and incentives to deliberately lose.
Source: ESPN
