[Article: NBA’s 65-game rule isn’t just about the awards race — and it isn’t going anywhere](https://theathletic.com/5244514/2024/02/28/nba-65-game-rule-awards-mvp/?source=user_shared_article)
> Dumars is adamant that he does not believe the NBA is adding pressure to team and player decisions of when to play.
> “I’m just saying that you’re still allowed to miss 17 games,” Dumars said.” You’re still allowed to miss 20 percent of the season. I don’t know how that could even remotely be considered to put your finger on the scale when you only have to play in 80 percent of the games.”
25 comments
preach joe, i wanna take a week off every month and still get paid my full amount with zero risk of losing my job
dumars played 65+ games every season of his career except for his last, 13 straight seasons. so he kinda knows what he’s talking about here.
Imagine if you only showed up to work like 60% of the time and still cried to your boss about not getting a raise. Imagine how that would fly over for a normal job
They want to play 50% of the time and get 100% of the money and accolades
I don’t get why people are pretending that voters never took games missed into consideration before the rule was enacted.
He’s 💯 right. I wasn’t around(lol) back then in the 90s so I didn’t watch the old legends but I really like how they played most of the games. There was a sense of obligation and honor to do that shit.
The thing no one is acknowledging is that the game is getting more strenuous. Even in the distant past, high-pace days, there wasn’t the degree of off-ball movement and team defending that heavily prevented guys from getting a break while still being on the court.
According to NBA.com tracking data, In 2013-14, 15 guys averaged 2.5 miles run per game or more. This year, that’s up to 39 guys, with that overall increase showing all the way down the list. On average, teams are running an extra 1.5 miles per game.
The game is more strenuous now, so pretending like this is an apples to apples comparison to guys playing 30 years ago isn’t meaningful.
The only thing that seems likely to happen the more this is constantly discussed, heard out, reported on and turned into thinkpiece fodder, is that there’ll be a critical mass of some sort as to why the NBA season is so fucking long in the first place.
It’s been about 50 years coming, honestly, but this year seems like the first time in those 50 years where it’s sticking as a story, and becoming a real thorn in the NBA’s side.
But there’s no way this subject keeps coming up, and the details of it keep getting spotlighted, without a larger mass of people, both who care about the sport and more importantly, who are only casual fans at best, going “So why isn’t the season just 65 games then?” It’s just the natural question that will pop up. Not to say there’s any possibility that’ll actually happen, but *something* is going to happen the more this keeps getting brought up by players, players orgs, doctors, fans, etc.
**I don’t care if it DOES put pressure on a player.**
They’re adults, they play in a high profile professional sport … they have all kinds of different types of pressure.
**Deal with it like an adult and make your call, own that decision, be responsible for it.**
Life is full of different incentives, pressure, etc.
I think there was a serious misstep in starting the in-season tournament and these rules in the same season, though, given how competitive the league is now.
Imagine having enough sick days in a regular 9-to-5 job to take off every Friday with pay, and still be eligible for company awards and bonuses and promotions—and then complaining about it. That’s what working 80% of the time—four days out of five—looks like.
Keep the requirements for awards, but don’t tie money to awards
Let’s make millions of dollars playing basketball and still wana rest some games to play Fort Night.
No knees 40 year old Jordan played 37 minutes a game 82 games. Come on bra
The last time a player won MVP who would be disqualified under this rule was Bill Walton in 1978.
So it’s been close to 50 years now where this rule would have zero effect on the MVP. I think this whole thing’s been blown out of proportion.
Players want to play literally 1 game and still win mvp nowadays
Thank fucking God the league saying this. The pushback from players against the 65-game minimum is asinine. These guys could play every game if they wanted to, but most of them just don’t care.
And Dumars is right — if you miss one out of every five games, you’re not providing enough value to your team to be considered for MVP or All-NBA.
How can you be the “Most Valuable Player” when you aren’t available so much of the time? That’s how I see it
I 100% agree with this. But contracts and potential money also shouldn’t be tied to All NBA votes and stuff like that.
People are just upset a player they like might not win any awards that they can use to argue for that player’s superiority over other players online
I would love a 58-game season with an in-season tournament. You play every team two times, once at home, once away like soccer. You want to see Luka play, you can see Luka play. The regular season games would have more weight and we’d get a better, more rested playoffs.
But revenue and player salaries would go down so they’d never do it. I honestly don’t care if Jaylen Brown gets 50 million or 35 million a season. The players and media also act like we should care that some contracts are tied to all-nba and by association, games played. Why should I care that Tyrese Halliburton will only be able to make 250 million instead of 300 million because he played 60 games? Guess he’ll be priced out of Indiana.
For context, Dumars missed 98 games in his entire 14 year career. He missed 30 games over his first eight seasons.
Imagine being mad about not getting job bonuses for only showing up 80% of the work days
This topic be wild, the league and the players are able to make so much and function the way they do because of the fans. Fans are paying to see prime players and key team matchups, and if so many players sit out it hurts the brand and money made on the backend.
Even now I feel like the tide is turning due to “managing loads” and the complete lack of effort/defense being played. The game a lot of us love is suffering some serious cracks and that’s been the last decade….imagine what basketball looks like in another decade as the game gives up on what made it special
Yeah, I’m exhausted with this discussion. Joel basically gaslighted us into an MVP last season and now we’re debating if players that barely play should be nominated for awards. Stop making NBA awards popularity contests.
The 65 games rule isn’t an issue, it’s all nba being tied to contracts