The NBA is once again under scrutiny as Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic risks becoming the latest high-profile casualty of the league’s controversial 65-game rule.
The policy requires players to appear in at least 65 of 82 games to qualify for major end-of-season honors, including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams.
Doncic has played 64 games and needs just one more to qualify. However, after suffering a hamstring strain against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, his status is now uncertain. If he misses the remainder of the season, he could join stars like Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards among those falling short of the threshold.
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Criticism of the rule continues to grow, with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon among the latest to speak out.
"There's no way you can watch this NBA season and wonder whether those guys are being deserving of being on the All-NBA team?" MacMahon said on "Get Up." "Luka Doncic is leading the league in scoring, Ant starred, Cade Cunningham has been the driving force of the Detroit team that's No. 1 seed in the East...NBA has got to look at some sort of exceptions."
While an exception does exist, it is rarely applicable. Players must have appeared in at least 62 games and 85 percent of their team’s games before injury, and be ruled out for the remainder of the season. But Doncic narrowly misses the first threshold and is highly unlikely to be sidelined for the rest of the season.
The Slovenian guard is putting together an MVP-caliber campaign, leading the league with 33.5 points per game while adding 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He remains firmly in the MVP conversation alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, and missing the final stretch could potentially cost him a chance at his first MVP award, a frustrating outcome given his dominant season and the work he put in during the offseason.
Edwards was also considered a lock for All-NBA honors, averaging a career-high 29.3 points and five rebounds per game, while Cunningham has been the driving force behind the Pistons, averaging 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game.
Last month, when Cunningham became ineligible, the NBPA released a statement criticizing the 65-game rule, calling it an “arbitrary and overly rigid quota” and “another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to include exceptions for significant injuries.”
The rule, introduced in the 2023–24 season to combat load management, is now facing increasing backlash. With award eligibility tied to supermax extensions, its impact goes beyond recognition and into player earnings.
Commissioner Adam Silver has so far stood firm, but with mounting criticism from players, media, and fans, the league may soon be forced to reconsider its approach.
