NBA commissioner Adam Silver backed the league’s 65-game rule during the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday. The rule, implemented in the 2023-24 season, requires players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for major awards such as MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said. “It is working. I’m not ready to say that because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, the rule doesn’t work.”
Advertisement
Silver explained that the rule was introduced to curb load management and increase player participation. His comments come after the National Basketball Players Association issued a statement on Tuesday regarding Cade Cunningham’s award eligibility.
Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB season
The union’s statement read:
“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 include 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.”
Advertisement
Cunningham has played 61 games and was expected to be in contention for All-NBA and MVP honors before suffering a collapsed lung last Wednesday. He is set to be reevaluated in early April. To qualify for awards, he must play in four of the Detroit Pistons’ remaining 11 games.
Cunningham’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN’s Shams Charania that the 24-year-old point guard should be granted an exception.
“Cade has delivered a first-team All-NBA season,” Schwartz said. “If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to a legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned over the course of the season. The league should reward excellence, not enforce rigid cutoffs that ignore context. An exception needs to be made.”
Other players who could be affected by the rule if they fail to reach 65 games include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Cooper Flagg, Kawhi Leonard and Tyrese Maxey.
Advertisement
While Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he understands the rule, he told reporters that players should not feel pressured to play through injuries to qualify for awards. Meanwhile, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors suggested the league could reduce the number of games to help players stay healthy.
Silver also noted that the league plans to address ongoing concerns about tanking.