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Adam Silver discusses NBA parity and small-market success ahead of draft

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 24, 2026, 2:30 PM

Last updated Jun 24, 2026

Adam Silver discusses NBA parity and small-market success ahead of draft

Summary

Adam Silver addressed the evolving NBA during a recent interview ahead of the draft. He emphasized that the league has moved toward greater parity, with eight different champions in the past eight seasons. Silver highlighted the significance of this shift, noting that teams from smaller markets, such as San Antonio and Milwaukee, successfully compete at the highest levels. He pointed out that the narrative surrounding small-market teams is changing, as evidenced by this year's Finals matchup. Silver also described the NBA's efforts to foster a competitive environment, asserting that teams can thrive regardless of market size, especially with effective management and some luck.

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By the Numbers

•Silver cites eight different champions in eight seasons as evidence of parity.
•The 2023 collective bargaining agreement led to a punitive luxury tax structure.
•Small-market teams like San Antonio and Milwaukee have found success.
•Silver aims for an NFL-like competitive environment in the NBA.
•This year's Finals featured a matchup without the small vs. big market narrative.

Latest Updates

2:30 PMYahoo Sports — Adam Silver celebrates end of ‘storyline’ that small-market teams can’t win in NBA

What they're saying

"
Adam Silver has significantly remade the NBA over the past several years, imposing a punitive “second-apron” in the league’s luxury tax, reducing the importance of free agency, and generating an unseen level of parity that has led to eight different champions in the past eight seasons. In comments Tuesday ahead of the NBA Draft, the…
— Yahoo Sports

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