NBPA calls for ‘arbitrary’ 65-game rule for awards to be ‘abolished or reformed’

The NBA’s players union is calling for the abolishment of a rule it agreed to three years ago that mandates its members play 65 regular-season games to be eligible for most season-long awards, including Most Valuable Player.

The union’s statement, in which it called for the “65-game rule” to be “abolished or reformed to create an exception for serious injuries,” was released Tuesday afternoon and was tied to the ongoing injury-related absence of Detroit star Cade Cunningham, who was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week and was expected to miss at least two weeks of games.

Cunningham, 24, who was an All-Star this season and would otherwise be a candidate for MVP and All-NBA first team selection, has played just 61 games this season – meaning he would need to return to play four more regular-season games for eligibility.

The Pistons, who are in first place in the East, have 11 games remaining. Cunningham would need to return by April 6 and play in all four of Detroit’s contests from that date through April 12, the end of the regular season.

In a statement provided to The Athletic and other news outlets, a spokeswoman for the National Basketball Players Association said:

“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. Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”

The 65-game rule took effect before the 2023-24 season after negotiations between the NBA’s owners and NBPA yielded a new collective bargaining agreement in 2023. It applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive team. The CBA runs through the 2029-30 season. It is possible that this rule could be changed before then, but it would require both the owners and the players union agreeing to revisit the issue.

There is an exception for players who’ve played in at least 62 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Cunningham doesn’t qualify for the existing exception because he is both one-game short and expected to return.

While it remains unclear how the NBA sees this issue, and the NBPA’s public complaint, commissioner Adam Silver is likely to address the topic during his session with reporters after Wednesday’s Board of Governors meeting.

The 65-game rule could affect more players, too

Beyond Cunningham, this issue has the potential to wreak havoc on this latest round of awards, as several other contenders for the top honors are in danger of being ineligible.

• Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played in 60 games. The Thunder have 10 games left on the schedule.
• Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has also played in 60 games, with 10 left on his team’s schedule.
• Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, whose Denver Nuggets also have 10 games left, has played in just 56 games.
• San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, who has been leading his own MVP campaign of late and is widely seen as the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, needs to play in eight of the Spurs’ final 10 games to qualify.
• Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, currently sidelined with a knee injury, has only played in 58 games.
• Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, who has missed the 76ers’ last nine games with a finger injury, has played in just 61 games.
• LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has only played in 56 games so far, meaning he can only miss one of the Clippers’ final 10 games to retain eligibility.

Even if these players ultimately reach the eligibility threshold, there’s a domino effect of the rule that has sparked even more debate. At this time in the schedule, when some top teams occasionally rest their best players in anticipation of a two-month playoff marathon, there is serious incentive on the players’ part to keep pushing to play now because of the various awards competitions.

And the NBPA, quite clearly, wants this difficult dynamic to disappear.