Bruce Brown played all 82 games this season but does not qualify for the NBA's 65-game rule for awards eligibility. This has sparked confusion among fans regarding the criteria for player recognition.
How Nuggets' Bruce Brown played 82 games but doesn't qualify for NBA's 65-game rule originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Bruce Brown played 82 games this season.
But as far as the NBA's 65-game rule for awards eligibility is concerned, the Denver Nuggets' guard didn't qualify.
Now to be fair, as many fans on social media are saying, Brown probably wouldn't have contended for any awards (although he is a high-quality defender and bench contributor).
But still, it's confusing. The NBA says it wants players to play at least 65 of the 82 possible regular season games to win an award.
Brown doesn't miss a night at the office all season, and yet he doesn't count. What gives?
MORE:Nikola Jokic proves once again there's no one like him
The NBA also throws a minutes clause into its award setup.
Brown played fewer than 20 minutes on too many occasions -- those games don't get counted the same as those in which a player exceeds 20 minutes.
Usually, any player that's going to win an award will play well more than 20 minutes in a game (often between 30-40) unless an injury occurs early.
MORE:This is the most improbable triple-double in NBA history
Brown, though, was just a bench rotation piece. His minutes fluctuated, and they often weren't that high.
So he played 82 games, for real, but didn't play the 65 games that would count in the NBA's eyes.
Confusing? Yep.
But that's just the way it is.
Bruce Brown does not qualify for the NBA's 65-game rule due to specific criteria set by the league that may not account for all games played.
The NBA's 65-game rule requires players to participate in at least 65 of the 82 regular season games to be eligible for certain awards.
While Bruce Brown is recognized as a high-quality defender and contributor, his lack of eligibility under the 65-game rule means he cannot contend for awards this season.
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.
Arshdeep Singh makes history as the first PBKS bowler to reach 100 IPL wickets!
California's top high school football prospects are on the move this weekend.
Viktor Hovland shines with a 64 at RBC Heritage, Gotterup scores 70.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.