NBPA Rips NBA Participation Policy, 65-Game Awards Rule

The NBPA is unhappy with the NBA regarding the league’s player participation policy and 65-game requirement for annual awards.

On Tuesday, the union released a pair of statements in defense of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, both of whom are currently injured.

Antetokounmpo has been out since March 15 with a left knee injury, and has indicated he wants to return for the final weeks of the regular season, despite the Bucks being all but officially eliminated from playoff contention. Milwaukee is currently 29–42, 11th in the Eastern Conference and eight games out of the Play-In Tournament. 

The two-time MVP’s cloudy future has hung over the organization all season as Antetokounmpo has yet to publicly ask for a trade despite multiple reports suggesting he wants to or has already done so privately. The Bucks will receive the less favorable of their own first-round pick or the Pelicans’ selection, which is currently expected to land in the lottery of a loaded draft.

In its statement on Tuesday, the NBPA referenced the situation between Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee while painting the league’s anti-tanking policies as ineffective.

“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the NBPA’s first statement said. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”

With several examples of apparent tanking resulting in national headlines—and in multiple cases, teams being fined—NBA commissioner Adam Silver has recently indicated that changes are coming to the league’s policies.

“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory?” Silver said. “Yes, is my view.” 

The union’s other issue is with the league’s postseason awards, which require players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for honors such as MVP and All-NBA. Cunningham is currently out with a collapsed lung and is four games shy of the required mark, meaning he could be ineligible for such honors despite leading the Pistons to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

In its statement, the union called for the requirement, which was first implemented for the 2023-24 season, to be removed.

“Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries,” the statement reads. “Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”

In addition to Cunningham, fellow MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama are also at risk of missing the 65-game mark heading into the final few weeks of the regular season. Meanwhile, high-profile players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Antetokounmpo have already been ruled ineligible for this year’s postseason awards based on the number of games they have missed.

A league spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.