The NBA goes to great lengths to dispute John Hollinger article about NBA Cup scheduling

The article discusses a wave of injuries affecting NBA stars during the NBA Cup quarterfinals, raising questions about the tournament's schedule. Key players like Victor Wembanyama, Devin Booker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were sidelined with tissue injuries, while Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard suffered season-ending Achilles tears, significantly impacting both conferences.

The Athletic's John Hollinger questioned whether the NBA Cup's scheduling is problematic for a "road-weary league." He argued that the league's effort to spotlight the Cup's knockout round by isolating those games on the calendar leads to a condensed schedule later, contributing to player injuries due to reduced recovery time and stressful travel itineraries.

The NBA responded forcefully to Hollinger's claims. NBA communications chief Mike Bass issued a statement rejecting the premise, stating that data does not support a link between the NBA Cup schedule and increased injuries. The league asserted that the number of games played by early December is consistent with previous seasons and that injuries forcing stars to miss games have actually decreased by 25 percent.