GTA 6 could become the biggest distraction in professional sports when it finally launches this November, at least according to Houston Rockets center Steven Adams.
Rockstar Games’ long-awaited open-world blockbuster is scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Adams believes the game’s arrival could temporarily pull players, coaches and scouts away from their usual routines as they dive into Vice City and the wider state of Leonida.
Speaking during the Rockets’ media day on September 22, Adams jokingly warned that professional sports could take a hit when GTA 6 arrives.
“Watch Them Plummet”
NBA player Steven Adam’s says the NBA performance will “plummet” in November because of GTA 6’s release 😂 pic.twitter.com/9qmTj6wbF7
— GTA 6 Premium (@GTA6_Premium) September 22, 2026
Adams was asked about the potential impact of GTA 6 and immediately suggested that November could be a rough month for professional sports.
“You guys should anticipate November,” Adams said. “So look at the NFL, look at all the leagues, and watch them plummet.”
The NBA star did not stop with the players. He also predicted that coaching staffs and scouts could struggle to stay focused once the game launches.
“The coaching and scouts are going to be horrendous, just for November,” Adams joked.
However, he expects things to return to normal relatively quickly.
“It should come back up,” he said, suggesting that most players will eventually finish the game and get back to their regular schedules by December.
GTA 6 Hype Has Reached Far Beyond Gaming
Adams’ comments are obviously humorous, but they highlight just how much attention GTA 6 has generated outside the traditional gaming audience.
Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto has become a major cultural event after years of anticipation, with the November launch date now firmly on the calendar.
There have already been other examples of people planning their schedules around the game’s release. A California car company reportedly announced plans to pause operations on launch day after employees said they intended to take time off to play.
A US Army battalion was also reportedly linked to a memo offering soldiers time off around the game’s release, although the Army has not publicly confirmed the document’s authenticity.
The game’s enormous anticipation has even produced more personal stories. One woman recently appealed to Rockstar on behalf of her terminally ill father, hoping he would live long enough to experience GTA 6.
Will GTA 6 Really Affect the NBA?
There is, of course, no evidence that GTA 6 will actually cause professional sports performance to decline. Adams’ comments were made in a humorous context, and his prediction that things will “bounce back” in December reinforces the joke.
Still, GTA 6 arriving in the middle of the NBA and NFL seasons creates an amusing possibility. Players with enough free time could find themselves spending late nights exploring Leonida instead of getting enough sleep.
For now, though, the real countdown continues. GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, and if Adams is right, November could be a particularly distracting month for athletes across the sporting world.
