Two of the NBA's most prominent players, Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, have been deemed eligible for prestigious end-of-season awards, including MVP and All-NBA honors, despite falling short of the league's 65-game minimum.
The decision, announced jointly by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) on Thursday, cites an "extraordinary circumstances provision" within their collective bargaining agreement.
Doncic, a leading contender for MVP after securing the league's scoring title, played 64 games, missing two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. Cunningham, who featured in 63 games, was sidelined for 12 games due to a collapsed lung diagnosed on 17 March.
In a joint statement, the NBA and NBPA confirmed: "The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards."
Doncic expressed his gratitude on social media, stating he was "grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision”, adding that it was important to him "to be present for the birth of my daughter in December."
He further noted: "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."
The ruling highlights the nuanced application of the 65-game rule, especially when contrasted with Minnesota's Anthony Edwards. Edwards, who played 60 qualified games, also sought eligibility via the extraordinary circumstances challenge but was denied by an independent arbitrator.
The 65-game threshold has been a significant talking point throughout the season, impacting several high-profile athletes.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, an MVP candidate and likely Defensive Player of the Year, only reached the mark in the Spurs' penultimate game.
Similarly, Denver's three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who has been first or second in MVP balloting for the past five seasons and led the league in rebounding and assists this year, qualified on the final day of the regular season.
Nuggets coach David Adelman voiced his concerns last week, hoping the rule would be re-evaluated. He argued that if players like Jokic, who played 64 games and rarely wants to leave the court, are not award-eligible, then "something is wrong." Adelman added: "That’s not the spirit of what that rule is."
The strictness of the rule means a number of other star players will be ineligible for major individual awards this season.
This includes the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, whose remarkable 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team is set to end, as well as Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State’s Stephen Curry, who also missed too many games.
With the decisions on Doncic, Cunningham, and Edwards now finalized, the NBA dispatched ballots to its panel of reporters and broadcasters on Thursday, a few days later than the typical schedule. The announcement of award winners is yet to be confirmed.
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