The NBA needs to revisit its rule that players must play in 65 games to be eligible for major awards.
LeBron James is the latest casualty of the rule, which was intended to encourage players to miss fewer games, but will preclude some of the league’s biggest stars from being eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.
James missed his 18th game Tuesday because of left foot arthritis, meaning his streak of being named to an All-NBA team for a record 21 straight seasons was snapped.
He joins stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Austin Reaves and Jalen Williams, among others, in being ineligible for awards this season.
Lots of other stars are on the brink of that fate, too.
Nikola Jokic, who’s one of the top three contenders for the MVP Award this season, will be ineligible if he misses just two more games. Victor Wembanyama, who’s favored to win Defensive Player of the Year, will be disqualified if he misses four more games. Steph Curry is four games away from the cutoff, while Kawhi Leonard is right behind him at five games away.
There’s just over 1/3 of the season remaining or between 27 and 30 games for most teams.
It’s a shame if the MVP Award is won by default. Or if the league’s best defender can’t be honored because he missed a few too many games. Or if players don’t qualify for super-max contracts because they’re not eligible for All-NBA honors.
The rule was well-intended, but it’s clear it has become more harmful than beneficial.
CJ McCollum, who served as the President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) from 2021 to 2025, lamented the fact that the rule is putting some of the league’s biggest stars in jeopardy of winning its most prestigious honors.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
