NBA Star Steven Adams Jokes That GTA 6 Will Tank Pro Sports Performance in November

Steven Adams of the NBA's Houston Rockets has joked that professional sports leagues will struggle in November because athletes will be distracted by GTA 6's launch.

Speaking to press, Adams said: "Look at the NFL, look at all the leagues, and watch them plummet. Just for the month of November, performance is gonna go down." He predicted things would improve once players finished the game. "It should come back up though; most of the boys will get it done. Hopefully they finish the game," Adams said.

Adams extended the joke to other aspects of professional sports, suggesting coaching and scouting efforts will be "horrendous," but only temporarily. He acknowledged the comment was not entirely serious, though he noted GTA 6 ranks among the most anticipated game releases ever and will attract many players, including professional athletes.

Adams is a known video game enthusiast who previously cited Dota 2 and Smite as favorites. "I'm more of a nerd," he told TMZ.

GTA 6 launches on November 19. The Rockets have no game scheduled that day, but the NBA has four games on the calendar, and Thursday Night Football is also set for Week 11 that date.