Cunningham Victim of the 65-Game Rule: Players’ Union Demands Reform
March 25, 2026
Nicolas Flamecourt
Adam Silver Defends 65-Game Rule Despite Cade Cunningham Controversy
The NBA Commissioner maintains his position on the controversial 65-game rule for award eligibility, despite criticism from the players' union following Cade Cunningham's injury.
May 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; NBA commissioner is Adam Silver presents Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (not pictured) with the Michael Jordan Trophy for winning the most valuable player award for the 2024-25 season before game two of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Photo Credit : © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The injury to Cade Cunningham has reignited the debate surrounding the mandatory 65-game rule for end-of-season award eligibility. The Detroit Pistons guard, diagnosed with a punctured lung, will be reevaluated in two weeks and will miss at least eight games. With only 61 games played, he risks losing his eligibility for NBA Awards despite averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists.
The players’ union (NBPA) released a statement on Tuesday, calling this situation « yet another example of why this rule must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries. » Jeff Schwartz, Cunningham’s agent, told ESPN: « Cade has delivered a season worthy of first-team All-NBA. If he narrowly misses an arbitrary threshold of games played due to a legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned throughout the season. »
« I’m not ready to say it’s not working. It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work. »
— Adam Silver on the NBA’s 65-game rule
(h/t @BrettSiegelNBA) pic.twitter.com/2szMDRFh1s
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 25, 2026
Adam Silver Stands Firm on Effectiveness of the Measure
Despite the criticism, Adam Silver has not opened the door to relaxing the policy. On the sidelines of the « Board of Governors », the Commissioner responded bluntly: « I think this rule is working. If you look at the numbers before it was implemented, they were going in the wrong direction. There are always new problems, but I’m not ready to say today that, because there may be a sense of unfairness for one player, the rule doesn’t work. »
Silver recalled the context of implementing this rule in 2023, approved by the players’ union: « A few years ago, when I was before you, you weren’t talking to me about tanking, but about load management. You were asking me what we were going to do about stars not playing enough. We always knew that by drawing a line, some would end up on the wrong side, and that it might sometimes seem unfair. »
The NBA boss acknowledges that Cade Cunningham‘s case is unfortunate, but believes it’s not enough to call into question the overall logic. The rule appears to have achieved its primary goal of combating load management, with examples like Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama stringing together games to remain eligible for awards. However, it creates new problems, particularly the risk of seeing players force themselves to play despite physical issues to secure contractual bonuses tied to individual distinctions.
With a background in sports management, Nicolas Flamecourt covers NBA news with a particular passion for the North American league, which he has been following for several years. He also covers the NCAA, including news and scouting of future prospects, and regularly conducts interviews with French players as well as players competing in Europe.
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