What happens if an NBA team is reduced to less than five players by fouling out?

Question

If an NBA team has 5 players left, and one player gets fouled out, do you keep the player in or let the team play with 4 players?

Answer 1

NBA Rule 3 Section 1.

a. Each team shall consist of five players. No team may be reduced to less than five players. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have already been disqualified, said player shall remain in the game and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. A technical foul also shall be assessed against his team. All subsequent personal fouls, including offensive fouls, shall be treated similarly. All players who have six or more personal fouls and remain in the game shall be treated similarly.

b.In the event that there are only five eligible players remaining and one of these players is injured and must leave the game or is ejected, he must be replaced by the last player who was disqualified by reason of receiving six personal fouls. Each subsequent requirement to replace an injured or ejected player will be treated in this inverse order. Any such re-entry into a game by a disqualified player shall be penalized by a technical foul.

This rule is just for NBA and WNBA. NCAA and FIBA rules state the team must continue to play with 4 players.

Answer 2

The player stays in. This is covered by Rule 3, Section I of the NBA rulebook:

If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have already been disqualified, said player shall remain in the game and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. A technical foul also shall be assessed against his team.