NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that he currently has no intention of changing the 65-game award rule, which requires players to play at least 65 regular season games to be eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA Team selections, and other honors.

“When you set a line, there will always be people excluded,” Adam Silver stated bluntly at a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting. “In certain circumstances, this rule can feel unfair. We’ll see what happens after this season.”

Adam Silver's remarks are seen as a strong response to the NBA Players Association (NBPA). The day before Silver's comments, the NBPA publicly criticized the arbitrary and rigid 65-game award criteria, citing Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham as an example.

Cunningham played 61 regular season games for the Pistons this season, averaging 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes per game. This phenomenal performance made him a strong contender for MVP and All-NBA selection.

However, Cunningham has been sidelined since March 19 due to a collapsed lung. His attendance is expected to be capped at 61 games, and he will be ineligible for any season awards as he has not reached the 65-game threshold.

The players' union believes the flaws of the 65-game award rule are clearly evident in Cunningham's case. Through a spokesperson, they stated: "After a career-best season, Cunningham may be ineligible for awards due to attendance issues. This clearly demonstrates the shortcomings of the 65-game award rule and underscores once again that it must be abolished or reformed, at least with exceptions for serious injuries. Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly excluded due to this arbitrary and overly rigid attendance threshold."

Another source revealed that the NBA Players Association is drafting a proposal to amend the rules. The core of this proposal is to establish exceptions for serious injuries, and it is planned to be formally submitted to the league in the coming weeks.

Despite this, Adam Silver maintains that the 65-game award rule has achieved its intended purpose. He stated, "Cade Cunningham is a fantastic player. I regret his injury and can't wait to see him back on the court. But we must remember that when a player is no longer eligible, another player will fill the vacancy. That's why I can't say for sure that this rule won't work. I think it's effective for now."

Adam Silver added, “We agreed with the players’ union that action had to be taken, which led to the 65-game award rule. It was the result of negotiations. However, I think the rule has been very effective overall. With the player appearance policy in place, discussions about load management are far less frequent than before. This is partly due to the positive response from teams and players. You can see that they are indeed appearing on the court much more often now.”

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