That doesn't relate as much with physical demands as it does the equipment and environment contributing to a potentially fatal environment, and those plays are few and far between.
The average NBA athlete exerts more energy in an average 20 seconds of play than anyone in any other sport in the world.
The typical football play is 7-9 seconds, with half a minute pause between plays. Soccer there is a lot of lateral and backwards passing for regrouping. The typical baseball play is also under 10 seconds, with the only plays being longer are maybe triples and inside the park homeruns.