Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham eligible for NBA awards after winning 65-game rule appeals

Cade Cunningham missed 12 games after suffering a collapsed lung (Reuters)

He further noted: "This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards."

The ruling highlights the nuanced application of the 65-game rule, especially when contrasted with Minnesota's Anthony Edwards. Edwards, who played 60 qualified games, also sought eligibility via the extraordinary circumstances challenge but was denied by an independent arbitrator.

The 65-game threshold has been a significant talking point throughout the season, impacting several high-profile athletes.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, an MVP candidate and likely Defensive Player of the Year, only reached the mark in the Spurs' penultimate game.

Similarly, Denver's three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who has been first or second in MVP balloting for the past five seasons and led the league in rebounding and assists this year, qualified on the final day of the regular season.

Nuggets coach David Adelman voiced his concerns last week, hoping the rule would be re-evaluated. He argued that if players like Jokic, who played 64 games and rarely wants to leave the court, are not award-eligible, then "something is wrong." Adelman added: "That’s not the spirit of what that rule is."

David Adelman wants the 65-game rule re-evaluated (Reuters)

The strictness of the rule means a number of other star players will be ineligible for major individual awards this season.

This includes the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, whose remarkable 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team is set to end, as well as Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State’s Stephen Curry, who also missed too many games.

With the decisions on Doncic, Cunningham, and Edwards now finalized, the NBA dispatched ballots to its panel of reporters and broadcasters on Thursday, a few days later than the typical schedule. The announcement of award winners is yet to be confirmed.