NBPA advocates for modification of 65-game requirement, referencing Cunningham’s situation
The eligibility of Detroit guard Cade Cunningham for individual accolades, including a position on the All-NBA team, is uncertain due to the 65-game requirement for such honors. The players’ association stated on Tuesday that this should not be the situation.
The National Basketball Players Association, which agreed to this rule through collective bargaining as part of the current agreement with the league, expressed a desire to see the rule modified at the very least.
“Cade Cunningham’s possible ineligibility for postseason accolades following a career-defining season highlights the flaws of the 65-game rule and serves as yet another reason for its abolition or reform to allow exceptions for significant injuries,” the union conveyed through a spokesperson. “Since its introduction, an excessive number of deserving players have been unjustly excluded from end-of-season recognition due to this arbitrary and excessively strict requirement.”
Cunningham has participated in 61 games this season. He is anticipated to miss additional games while recuperating from a collapsed lung, and if he is sidelined for too long, he will not meet the 65-game criterion.
A number of players will be disqualified from most major individual awards this season because of the 65-game rule, including LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, marking the end of his 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State’s Stephen Curry have also missed too many games to qualify, along with several other players, such as Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, both of whom are in contention for the MVP award and are close to the threshold for ineligibility.
The MVP frontrunners, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City and Luka Doncic of the Lakers, can still afford to miss a few games and maintain their eligibility.
“It’s for the right reasons, but it’s challenging,” remarked Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell over the weekend, as reported by cleveland.com regarding the 65-game rule. “We are compensated to be on the court, but there are certain factors beyond our control. It’s not as if players are resting and skipping these games. These are genuine injuries, so it’s definitely something to reconsider because certain players should not find themselves in this situation.”
There are specific conditions under which a player can qualify for awards such as MVP, defensive player of the year, All-Defensive teams, and All-NBA teams even if they do not reach the 65-game mark. Players who participate in 62 games and suffer a season-ending injury may also be eligible, although this would not apply to Cunningham’s situation.
