The NBA announced its All-NBA teams last weekend, and two players who were at one point deemed ineligible for the award were named to the All-NBA First Team.
Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic both received First Team honors, joining Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic. Those players all had tremendous campaigns. Yet in the case of Doncic and Cunningham, they almost weren’t recognized for it due to their participation level this season.
Cunningham, 24, made the All-NBA Third Team last year before showing more improvement this season. But various injuries caused him to miss time, and Cunningham finished the 2025-26 campaign with 64 games played. Doncic, meanwhile, also played in 64 games thanks to a combination of injuries, family matters, and a suspension thanks to his technical foul count.
64 appearances is about 78% of an NBA season. The league wants its stars to play more than that, so they created a games played threshold players are (usually) required to hit to receive certain end-of-season honors. All-NBA teams are one such accolade, and the league’s official rule is that players must suit up in 65 outings to be eligible.
“No player shall be eligible for NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, NBA Most Improved Player, All-NBA Team (First, Second, or Third), or NBA All-Defensive Team (First or Second) honors (the “Applicable Generally Recognized League Honors”) for a Season unless the player has satisfied at least one of the following criteria (the “Award Eligibility Criteria”) in respect of such
Season: (1) the player played in at least sixty-five (65) Regular Season games; or (2) the player (A) played in at least sixty-two (62) Regular Season games, (B) suffered a “season-ending injury” (as defined below), and (C) played in at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the Regular Season games played by his Team prior to the player suffering such injury,” the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states.
How is the 65-game rule impacting NBA player awards and money?
Neither Cunningham nor Doncic reached 65 games, but they both challenged the NBA and filed petitions at the end of the season. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards joined them.
This muddled the entire process. Edwards’ appeal was denied, but both Cunningham and Doncic had theirs accepted. ESPN touched on the factors that led to that decision – for Cunningham, it was that he missed action due to a collapsed lung. In Doncic’s case, a two-game absence due to the birth of his child allowed for the Lakers forward to be eligible for awards.
In some ways, it is noble that the NBA is trying to incentivize player availability. Attempting to address fan concerns about rest and the growing number of star absences is a smart choice by the league. But the 65-game rule, specifically, has come under fire often since its inception in 2023.
“I think it’s a stupid rule, like many guys in the league. This is what the owners want,” Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said years ago.
“It needs to be revamped,” Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shared this season.
Teams prioritizing the long-term health of their players is not a new trend, but doing so by using certain load management strategies has increased in frequency. The NBA, in response, created things like the Player Participation Policy and the 65-game rule. Yet naturally, there are complications when it comes to league awards. Those honors are subjective and voted on by media members. To what end should availability be a factor? That, too, could be seen as subjective.
And in the case of All-NBA teams (and other awards), there are financial considerations. Some players stand to make more money, or at least have their contract extended sooner, by earning certain honors during specific seasons. They are thus incentivized to play in games when perhaps not fully healthy, a detriment to their team and the overall NBA product.
Haliburton dealt with this a few seasons ago – an All-NBA birth would have earned him an extension that started at a salary that was worth 5% more of the salary cap. “Obviously, we know the financial benefit for me,” Haliburton said at the time.
Cunningham didn’t gain any specific contractual benefits by making an All-NBA team in 2026, but he now will be eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension if he makes an All-NBA team in either of 2027 or 2028. That would not have been true without his 2026 honor. There are massive financial consequences to these awards.
That’s part of why the 65-game rule is constantly scrutinized. Legitimate injuries cause players to miss out on subjective awards and, in turn, money. The best players hitting the hardwood more often is good for the NBA, but that tradeoff may need a tweak to prevent players from pushing through injuries unnecessarily – Cunningham, for example, returned after missing just 11 games with a collapsed lung, suiting up for the Pistons final three games despite his team having their playoff seed essentially secured.
In the end, he and Doncic still earned well-deserved hardware. But the NBA may need to consider changes to this rule, or at least remove the 65-game feature from any recognition that can be tied to financial benefit.
