GTA 6 Could Hurt Pro Sports, NBA Star Jokes

An NBA Star's Bold November Prediction

With GTA 6 arriving on November 19, 2026, anticipation for Rockstar's blockbuster is clearly reaching every corner of popular culture — including professional sports locker rooms. Houston Rockets center Steven Adams recently told reporters, half-jokingly, that he expects performance across major sports leagues to take a noticeable hit the moment the game drops.

Adams singled out the NFL as a likely casualty, suggesting that athletes at every level will be too distracted by Vice City to bring their A-game. His prediction wasn't all doom and gloom, though — he added that things should bounce back once players work their way through the campaign.

Coaches and Scouts Won't Be Spared Either

Beyond on-field performance, Adams reckoned that coaching decisions and scouting reports will also suffer during that first month. Given how enormous game releases can consume entire communities overnight, it's not a stretch to imagine front-office staff sneaking in late-night sessions alongside the players.

Adams is clearly having fun with the idea rather than issuing a genuine warning, but his comments do reflect just how massive the cultural footprint of GTA 6 already is — even months before launch.

Not the First Time Games and Sports Have Collided

This isn't an isolated moment. NFL quarterback Kyler Murray has long been associated with marathon Call of Duty sessions, and at least one other NFL player has publicly connected video game habits to struggles on the field. GTA 6 is shaping up to be one of the biggest entertainment releases in history, so it's reasonable to expect stories like this to keep surfacing as November approaches.

Whether or not the stats actually dip come late November, it will make for a fun narrative to follow alongside the game's launch.

For everything else leading up to release day, keep an eye on our news hub for the latest updates.