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Prior to the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, the league introduced a highly controversial rule that required players to play in at least 65 of their team’s 82 regular-season games in order to be deemed eligible for awards and All-NBA teams.
The hotly debated rule was aimed at keeping teams from resting star players. However, it has quickly become an issue for the league, especially this season, when several stars, such as Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, and Victor Wembanyama, all failed to meet the 65-game threshold.
Wembanyama’s appearance in the NBA Cup helped him hit 65 games, so technically, he became eligible via that avenue.
But the other risked missing out on various awards that they would clearly have made otherwise. So on Thursday, the league decided it would bend the rules a bit.
NBA Gives Luka Doncic And Cade Cunningham Exemption From 65-Game Rule
Both Doncic and Cunningham appealed their ineligibility to the NBA and NBAPA. Doncic filed an appeal on the grounds that he needed to attend the birth of his daughter, while Cunningham missed games after suffering a collapsed lung.
On Thursday, the league approved both those appeals.
Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Pistons’ Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gUYdUn1q4k
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2026
“I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision,” Doncic said in a statement on X. “It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. 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.”
Meanwhile, Edwards, who also filed an appeal, saw his case denied by an independent arbitrator.
On one hand, you can claim that it’s difficult to argue with an independent arbitrator. But on the other hand, you have to wonder where the line is? Yes, it’s nice that Doncic was able to be there for the birth of his daughter. But why did he miss all the other games?
What about Edwards and Cunningham? It’s easy to feel like the league is acting entirely arbitrarily on these rules. And easy to wonder why the rule even exists to begin with, because it’s clearly not stopping players from missing games.