The NBA\u2019s players union is calling for the abolishment of a rule it agreed to three years ago that mandates its members play 65 regular-season games to be eligible for most season-long awards, including Most Valuable Player.<\/p>\n
The union\u2019s statement, in which it called for the \u201c65-game rule\u201d to be \u201cabolished or reformed to create an exception for serious injuries,\u201d was released Tuesday afternoon and was tied to the ongoing injury-related absence of Detroit star Cade Cunningham, who was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week<\/a> and was expected to miss at least two weeks of games.<\/p>\n Cunningham, 24, who was an All-Star this season and would otherwise be a candidate for MVP and All-NBA first team selection, has played just 61 games this season \u2013 meaning he would need to return to play four more regular-season games for eligibility.<\/p>\n The Pistons, who are in first place in the East, have 11 games remaining. Cunningham would need to return by April 6 and play in all four of Detroit\u2019s contests from that date through April 12, the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n In a statement provided to The Athletic and other news outlets, a spokeswoman for the National Basketball Players Association said:<\/p>\n \u201cCade Cunningham\u2019s 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 create 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The 65-game rule took effect before the 2023-24 season after negotiations between the NBA\u2019s owners and NBPA yielded a new collective bargaining agreement in 2023. It applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive team. The CBA runs through the 2029-30 season. It is possible that this rule could be changed before then, but it would require both the owners and the players union agreeing to revisit the issue.<\/p>\n There is an exception for players who\u2019ve played in at least 62 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Cunningham doesn\u2019t qualify for the existing exception because he is both one-game short and expected to return.<\/p>\n While it remains unclear how the NBA sees this issue, and the NBPA\u2019s public complaint, commissioner Adam Silver is likely to address the topic during his session with reporters after Wednesday\u2019s Board of Governors meeting.<\/p>\n The 65-game rule could affect more players, too<\/p>\n Beyond Cunningham, this issue has the potential to wreak havoc on this latest round of awards, as several other contenders for the top honors are in danger of being ineligible.<\/p>\n