Steven Adams jokes NBA play will suffer when GTA 6 arrives
The short version
- Steven Adams joked that NBA and other pro athletes' performance could dip in November 2026
- GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026
- Adams expects performance levels to recover by December
- The previous Grand Theft Auto title, GTA 5, came out 13 years ago
The Rockets center told reporters that league-wide performance may dip for a month after the long-awaited game's November 19, 2026 release.
Houston Rockets center Steven Adams had some fun with reporters when asked about the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI, suggesting that athletes across professional sports might see a temporary slide in their play once the game launches.
"You guys should anticipate November," Adams said. "The performance of the league, league-wide. GTA is dropping. So have a look at NFL, a look at all the leagues, and watch them plummet, mate."
He added that any drop would be short-lived, predicting that most players would work through the game and return to form the following month. Gaming is a widespread pastime among NBA players; Luka Doncic, for instance, is well known for his skill at Overwatch.
The new title arrives on November 19, 2026, more than a decade after the previous entry in the series. GTA 5 was widely praised when it launched, and the long wait for a sequel has become a running joke online, with memes listing things released earlier than GTA 6.