Adam Silver Discusses Idea Of NBA Using Earlier Start Times For West Coast Games

For years, East Coast sports fans have lamented having to stay up late to watch meaningful sporting events being played on the West Coast.

But that soon could change in the NBA, should league executives warm up to the idea.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on Tuesday’s episode of “Today” to discuss a number of issues facing the NBA, including changing start times for West Coast teams to accommodate East Coast viewers. In fact, Silver said there is some logic behind the idea.

“”Fifty percent of television households in this country are in the Eastern time zone,” Silver told Craig Melvin. “And so if your West Coast games start at 10:30 at night in the East, you’re invariably going to lose a lot of viewers around 11, 11:30. I mean, you can just chart it.”

Doing so, however, would be much less convenient for West franchises and their fans. And Silver recognizes that.

“Just think about people getting to those arenas after work if you start a game at 6 p.m. local time in the West. It’s not the most convenient thing,” he said. “It’s not as convenient for a television-watcher on the West Coast, either.”

While nothing about the idea is set in stone, Silver said it’s certainly something for the league to consider.

“When you look at the league from a national standpoint, it may make sense to play a little bit earlier in the West. And that’s something we’re going to talk to our teams about this summer.”

Will it actually happen? We’re not sure. But it certainly is an interesting concept, nonetheless.