NBA faces pressure to alter 65-game eligibility rule for players to be considered for awards

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) called on the league to make a change to its 65-game eligibility rule for players to be considered for awards.

NBA players who fail to play 65 games are not considered for the league’s top honors, like NBA MVP. The union pointed to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who emerged as an MVP candidate this season but may not be considered for the award if he misses more time. He’s currently sidelined with a collapsed lung.

“Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries,” the union said. “Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”

Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry have missed too much time to be considered for the All-NBA teams.

Injuries have also plagued San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic this season. Each player is in line for the MVP but are nearing ineligibility.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell said he understood the rule but there were too many other factors at play.

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“It’s for the right reasons, but it’s tough,” Mitchell said over the weekend. “We get paid money to be out there, but there’s certain things you can’t control. It’s not like guys are resting and missing these games. These are legitimate injuries, so it’s something to look at for sure because there’s no way certain guys should be in this scenario.”

Kevin Durant suggested in 2024 he was indifferent about the rule.

“I just want guys healthy and on the court too. I guess that’s what the solution is try to get guys to stay on the court,” he said at the time. “It’s just something we’ve got to deal with. I won’t say I love it, or I hate it either, but it’s just something we’ve got to deal with.”

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The rule was put in place in October in hopes of curbing load management and put an emphasis on the regular season. The rule may also impact whether players would receive a supermax contract in the future.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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