The NBA officially introduced a new rule for the 2025–26 season that changes how statisticians record desperation shots. From now on, when a player launches a last-second heave from 36 feet or deeper in the first three quarters, the miss won’t count against that player’s individual stats. Instead, it will be marked as a missed shot for the team.
The Board of Governors approved the adjustment after test runs in the G League and Summer League. The idea is simple: get more players to attempt these wild buzzer-beaters without worrying about how it affects their shooting percentage or future contract talks.
Why it matters
For years, players have hesitated to throw up these long bombs, knowing their efficiency numbers could take a hit. Even though the shots rarely go in, they’re crowd-pleasers when they do. According to SportRadar data, players hit just 4% of such attempts last season. Steph Curry connected on four, Nikola Jokic hit three, and Mikal Bridges along with Anthony Edwards, were the only others in double digits for attempts.
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Jokic took 22 of them, the most in the league, and while it only shaved fractions off his field goal numbers, the impact on efficiency stats is real.
Jefferson calls it out
Not everyone is happy about the rule. Former Cavs forward and 2016 NBA champion Richard Jefferson didn’t mince words, blasting the change on X:
“This is cowardly! We don’t want it to count towards your %… UNLESS YOU MAKE IT. You want the positive without the potential for negative. PROFESSIONAL SPORTS 2025.”
Jefferson’s take highlights the debate: should players be rewarded for the highlight potential without the downside risk?
What comes next
The league hopes this tweak leads to more wild moments at the horn. Whether fans embrace it as fun or see it as watering down accountability will be the story to watch once the season tips off.
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