Silver backs 65-game rule
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Defends League's 65-Game Rule for Awards Eligibility
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is standing behind the league's 65-game rule for awards eligibility, saying "the rule is working" — even as it sparked one of the most controversial award seasons in recent memory. The rule, introduced in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify for MVP and All-NBA honors. Yahoo Sports reported that Silver defended the policy at the league's Board of Governors meeting in March 2026.
The 2025–26 season put the rule to the test. Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham each played 64 games and won appeals to become eligible. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards played 61 qualified games and was denied. He missed out on a supermax contract worth an estimated $178 million more than his next-best option.
Why the NBA Created the 65-Game Minimum
The rule was built to fight "load management" — the practice of stars sitting out games to stay fresh for the playoffs. Owners and TV partners like Disney and Amazon grew frustrated watching fans pay full price for tickets when top players rested. Silver said the data proved the rule was needed. "Going into the last negotiation, roughly a third of our All-NBA players had played fewer than 65 games," he said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
The CBA took effect July 1, 2023, and runs through the 2029–30 season. A player must log at least 20 minutes to count a game as "qualified." Up to two games with 15–20 minutes can also count. Players who suffer a season-ending injury can qualify with just 62 games, if they played 85% of team games before the injury, according to Forbes.
Appeals Process Creates Two Winners and One Loser
On April 16, 2026, the NBA and the Players Association issued a joint statement granting "extraordinary circumstances" exceptions to both Dončić and Cunningham. Dončić missed two games in December 2025 to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung in March 2026, missing 12 games. "I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf," Dončić posted on X.
Edwards' case went to an independent arbitrator — and he lost. He had played 61 qualified games, four short of the limit. On May 24, Dončić and Cunningham were named to the All-NBA First Team. Edwards, who averaged 28.8 points per game in 2025–26, was left off entirely, per Hoops Rumors.
Edwards Loses $178 Million as Timberwolves Cry Foul
The financial hit to Edwards was enormous. Missing All-NBA eligibility blocked him from signing a 4-year, $300 million supermax extension. He is now limited to a 2-year, $122 million deal — a gap of $178 million, according to RealGM. For a small-market team like Minnesota, the ripple effects go beyond money. All-NBA status helps franchises attract future stars in free agency.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch did not hide his frustration. "I'm not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeal process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases," he said, per FOX Sports. "Feels more like a suggestion than a rule." The NBPA has officially called for the rule to be abolished or reformed, citing unavoidable medical issues like Cunningham's collapsed lung.
Silver Holds Firm Despite Growing Pressure to Change the Rule
Despite the backlash, Silver has signaled no plans to lower the 65-game threshold, according to theScore. Critics like ESPN's Stephen A. Smith called the gap between the Dončić and Edwards rulings "straight favoritism." The decisions were made through different processes — Dončić and Cunningham were approved jointly by the league and union, while Edwards went through arbitration alone.
The controversy raises a deeper question about the rule's long-term effects. Players may now feel pressure to play through minor injuries to hit 65 games, risking worse damage later. And stars like LeBron James (60 games), Stephen Curry (43 games), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (36 games) were also ineligible in 2025–26, per Forbes. Silver's rule is working — but not without cost.
Sentiment
NeutralPublishers
3
Articles
3
Reach
4
