The NBA implemented a new player participation policy last summer where players had to play 65 games to be eligible for awards consideration, including the All-NBA teams. Joe Dumars, the Head of Basketball Operations at the NBA, has commented on why this policy is fair while implying the NBA doesn’t see a reason to change the requirement despite players speaking out against it.
“I’m just saying that you’re still allowed to miss 17 games. You’re still allowed to miss 20 percent of the season. I don’t know how that could even remotely be considered to put your finger on the scale when you only have to play in 80 percent of the games.”
While the rule was praised when it was initially implemented, the drawbacks from it became clear when Joel Embiid tried playing through a knee injury to keep his MVP case alive. This led to him tearing his meniscus in a game he was visibly struggling against the Warriors, albeit due to a freak incident where Jonathan Kuminga landed on him.
It makes sense why Dumars believes that the ask is entirely fair. The former Finals MVP missed just 98 games in his entire 14-year career. This includes just 30 missed games over his first eight seasons. John Stockton sits at an unbeatable high position for most assists and steals in part because he missed just 22 games in his 19-year career.
The best example of player participation comes from Michael Jordan, who played every single game of the second Bulls three-peat, regular season and playoffs included. The game is no longer the same, but there’s plenty of proof that old players endured the strain of playing regularly in an 82-game season while modern players are not happy to do it for even 65 games.
Multiple NBA Players Have Called Out The Participation Policy
The Players Association agreed to include the 65-game requirement during the CBA negotiations last year, so the pushback against it already is surprising. While it’s been working in terms of making players more available, it’s raised the ire of many All-Star caliber players.
Tyrese Haliburton was one of the most vocal critics of the rule, returning from a hamstring injury early to meet the criteria for All-NBA consideration at the end of the season. He stands to be eligible for a supermax extension if he makes All-NBA this year, so the financial incentive for him is huge.
“I think it’s a stupid rule, like plenty of the guys in the league, but this is what the owners want, so as players, we gotta do our job and play in 65 games if we’re able to. So, that’s what I gotta do, take care of my body to be able to play in those games, and I think you’re seeing other players in the league kind of face the same thing. As long as the owners are happy.”
Other players such as Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic have also criticized the rule. Stephen Curry had a different take, explaining that the requirement makes sense for the MVP award but it’s unfair to impose it on All-NBA selections as well.
The league will consider this rule a resounding success given the availability shown by league superstars such as Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and more. But modern players are far more careful about avoiding injury, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can manage to get the requirement removed or altered in future seasons.
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