US EditionLuka Dončić and Cade Cunningham Are Eligible for NBA Awards After Successful Appeals of 65-Game Rule
- On Thursday, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association announced that Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham are eligible for MVP and All-NBA awards despite playing fewer than 65 games.
- Their eligibility stems from the collective bargaining agreement's "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge" clause. Doncic missed two games attending his daughter's birth in Slovenia, while Cunningham missed 12 games with a collapsed lung.
- Doncic led the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game, while Cunningham helped the Pistons secure the East's top seed. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was denied his appeal despite playing 60 games.
- The NBA will distribute award ballots to reporters and broadcasters in the coming days, enabling both stars to receive recognition for their individual performances throughout the 2025-26 season.
- Controversy over the 65-game threshold persists, ending Lakers forward LeBron James' 21-year All-NBA streak. Nuggets coach David Adelman said last week that "that's not the spirit of what that rule is.
84 Articles
84 Articles
The league applies the “extraordinary circumstances” clause and allows Doncic and Cade Cunningham to be considered for season-end awards
Dončić and Cunningham eligible for NBA awards after appeals of 65-game rule. But Edwards is not
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Dončić and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham will be eligible for awards such as MVP and All-NBA this season despite falling short of the 65-game minimum. The league and the National Basketball Players Association announced the ruling…
Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham Granted Eligibility for NBA Awards
Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images DETROIT, MICH. ~ After falling short of the 65-game minimum to be eligible for NBA awards, Detroit Pistons’ guard Cade Cunningham appealed the rule under the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge and won Thursday afternoon, making him eligible to make an All-NBA team or win the NBA’s MVP award. Cunnigham played in 63 games during the regular season, missing 11 games in mid-March due to a collapsed l…
Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham now eligible for annual NBA awards
Detroit — The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have reached an agreement under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that allows Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham to be eligible for all annual awards for the 2025-26 NBA regular…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
