Kenyon Martin had strong words against the NBA’s 65-game rule for individual regular-season awards.
According to him, the league should change that rule because it does not entirely serve its purpose, and it also unfairly punishes deserving players who suffer legitimate injuries during the season and can’t meet the required threshold for rewards.
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“You have a bi–h doin’ what he’s doin’, and you get some freak s–t like this happen, and now I’m not eligible for an award I may have been playing my a– for because my teammate bumped into…Come on,” said the former No.1 draft pick on “Gil’s Arena”. “No, it ain’t just because of Joker. I didn’t like it from the beginning.”
Curb load management
The 65-game requirement for players to be eligible for the end-of-season awards was instituted during the 2023-24 season, supposedly to help prevent stars from load managing. Since erring players can’t be named to All-NBA teams, it can also affect the money figure in their next contracts, thereby making them consider sitting out games while healthy.
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However, because the rule applies blindly to everyone in the league, players who miss games legitimately due to injuries are not eligible to win awards, as many think will happen to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
Jokic is the favorite to win a fourth MVP award this season. But after suffering a hyperextended knee during their last game against the Miami Heat, he is expected to miss at least four weeks. With Denver set to play 16 games during that span, he’s almost certainly out of MVP contention.
“So you mean to tell me, if he’s out, then the fu—n dude that plays for the Utah Jazz they in the basement deserves to be an All-NBA player? No, this isn’t position. This is war, and we’re fu—n with people’s legacies here,” he added.
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Joker’s historic season and no MVP?
Jokic is in the midst of one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. He is averaging 29.6 points per game while leading the league in rebounds (12.2) and assists (11.0), posting historic numbers in advanced metrics such as PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and BPM (Box Plus-Minus). He is also shooting 60.5 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from three and 85.3 percent from the free throw line, showcasing unprecedented efficiency.
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To cap it off, Jokic also had a few history-redefining moments, highlighted by his Christmas Day performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he registered a 55-point triple-double and the first-ever 55/15/15 game.
“If it’s the management thing, I’m with them. But there’s exceptions to every fu—n’ rule. So there’s no exception to this? This started because of load management. The 65-game thing came because of load management. They sitting healthy guys out,” Martin added.
Jokic has won the MVP award three times already, and this is his best individual season to date. The Nuggets are also winning — they are third in the Western Conference with a 22-10 record, despite dealing with injuries to their starters throughout the entire 2025-26 season.
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Is it fair that this one doesn’t end with a Michael Jordan trophy in his hands? It might not be, but luck has always been a big factor in a player’s career.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.