The NBA's 65-game rule, implemented in 2023, requires players to participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for regular-season awards like MVP. This rule has sparked controversy, especially after key players, including Cade Cunningham, missed eligibility due to injuries.
How does NBA award eligibility work? Explaining 65-game rule, exceptions, more in controversial debate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NBA instituted a 65-game rule in 2023 in an effort to discourage load management. The rule was created as a stipulation for players to be eligible for regular-season awards, such as MVP and Rookie of the Year.
This year, many of the game's best players fell short of the minimum number of games required for them to be eligible, which caused controversy throughout the league. The NBPA even called for the league to get rid of the rule after Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham suffered a serious injury that led to him becoming ineligible for MVP.
Therefore, for the first time since the NBA instituted this rule, award winners like MVP and Defensive Player of the Year may not accurately portray the players who are most deserving of those awards based on their play. The league hasn't announced any changes to the rule yet, but those could come after the season ends.
With the league set to announce its award winners in the coming weeks, here's a breakdown of the NBA's 65-game rule.
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To be eligible for awards in a given season, a player must appear in at least 65 games. However, additional stipulations determine which games count toward that threshold, and some players can still qualify with fewer than 65 appearances if they meet certain criteria.
In order for a game to count for player's 65 games, the player must play at least 20 minutes in each game during the season. However, players can also play between 15 and 20 minutes in at most two games, which would qualify as a "near-miss" exception.
Any game in which a player plays less than 15 games doesn't count towards the eligibility in any way, even if the player left with an injury.
The near-miss exception was included to give players some leeway in games in which they fall just short of the 20-minute minimum. Players are allowed up to two games in which they log between 15 and 20 minutes but fail to reach the 20-minute threshold due to injury.
An example of this is Victor Wembanyama leaving early in a game late in the season, as he still fulfilled the 65-game requirement thanks to the exception.
Players who suffer season-ending injuries before reaching the 65-game threshold are still eligible for awards if they fit other criteria. For that to be the case, that player had to have played in 62 games during the season before suffering the injury and played in at least 85 percent of his team's games the year before.
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Many star players failed to reach the 65-game threshold this year as they battled injuries over the course of the season. Those players include:
The 65-game rule mandates that players must play in at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for awards such as MVP and Rookie of the Year.
The rule was introduced to discourage load management practices among players and ensure that award winners are those who consistently participate in games.
Many top players fell short of the 65-game requirement this year, leading to controversy over who should be considered deserving of awards like MVP.
The league has not announced any changes to the 65-game rule yet, but discussions may occur after the season concludes.
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