Adam Silver is fine with teams rebuilding in a way similar to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers finished with a 19-63 record and lost 26 straight games at one point. But owner Josh Harris described the season as a "huge success for us."

"I think what Josh was saying was in the context of building a championship team and a championship organization in Philadelphia," Silver said Thursday as he spoke to the Associated Press Sports Editors. "He saw it as a success in a continuum."

Silver is concerned with the perception fans have of the process.

"Yes, it's a concern from a perception point, which is why I responded on several occasions to say that at least the way that I've always understood, tanking is the intentional losing of games either by the coach or players," Silver said. "What is going on is legitimate rebuilding of franchises. The fact that fans may see it another way is very [much a] concern to me."

In the NBA, one of the ways to rebuild is by accumulating several high draft picks in a row.

"Teams have to make their own strategic decisions," Silver said. "That's not something we are looking to legislate from the league. The jury is out from a strategic standpoint whether that's the right way to build a championship team in the first place."