The same scene keeps replaying in Golden State this season, says Steve Kerr. A player stuck on the bench. Another injury announced. Rotations get tighter. Kerr watches, sighs — then says what a lot of people are quietly thinking. After his Warriors lost to the Jazz, the California coach reopened a touchy subject. The NBA schedule is too heavy. He thinks it’s time to trim it.
Steve Kerr:
“We need to play fewer games. We need to take 10 games off the schedule. The modern game with the pace and the space I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games” pic.twitter.com/xfzHjfdtug
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) March 10, 2026
“I know that’s not a popular take in the league offices, but I’m going to keep saying it. We need to play fewer games. We need to take 10 games off the schedule.” The message is blunt. And it isn’t new. What Kerr really wants is to protect his players — and every player in the league — while keeping the on-court product at a higher level.
A schedule that’s brutally demanding
For Kerr the issue is obvious. Today’s NBA isn’t the one from 20 or 30 years ago. The pace has picked up, spacing stretches defenses, and players run and cover more ground than ever. Bodies are paying the price. Kerr keeps hammering that point. “With the speed of the modern game, it’s become extremely demanding physically. I think the league would be more competitive and players would be healthier if we played fewer games.”
This season Golden State is a prime example. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler have all dealt with physical niggles. The roster is aging, sure. But Kerr won’t let that be the only excuse. He says the schedule is a major driver.
Money: the real roadblock
Cutting the regular season from 82 to 72 games would be seismic. Fewer games mean less TV cash, fewer tickets sold, and smaller overall revenue for the league and the franchises. Kerr knows the score. “That would mean everyone would have to accept making a little less money. And that’s very hard to do.”
That’s where the fight gets ugly. The NBA is a gigantic money machine. Every single game matters. Every broadcast feeds the contracts. Tweak the calendar and you hit the whole model at its core.
A statistical legacy at risk
Another sticking point: records. For decades the season has been 82 games. That number gives us a baseline, a way to compare generations and measure careers across time.
Cut the schedule and you blur those reference points. Certain records would become harder to reach. Historical comparisons would get messier. For the purists, that’s a major argument.
This debate won’t disappear
Still, the conversation keeps coming back. Injuries are rising. Teams manage minutes with care. Stars sit out games to protect their bodies. Come playoff time, health often decides everything. The side that lifts the trophy is frequently the one that arrives in spring with the fewest players broken down.
Kerr knows that. And even if his idea won’t win universal support, he’s picked a side. Because beneath the numbers, the records and the TV deals lies a simple question: how far can we push players’ bodies before the schedule itself becomes the chief opponent?
Credits: AFP / Getty Image
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