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Source: FOX News
Summary
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley criticized NBA players for complaining about the 65-game eligibility rule for awards and honors. The rule requires players to play at least 65 games to be considered for the league’s highest accolades. Players such as Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are eligible, but others like Cade Cunningham are not due to injuries. The National Basketball Players Association has called for the rule to be abolished or reformed to create exceptions for significant injuries. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended the rule, saying it is working and not ready to be changed.
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The game followed a familiar script. Players whine about the 65-game rule, but it’s not like they didn’t vote on it in the first place. And if they weren’t so injury-prone, maybe they wouldn’t be missing out on consideration.
Cade Cunningham’s season was ruined by a collapsed lung, but that’s no excuse for not playing enough games. And yet, the NBA Players Association wants to create an exception for him. It’s all about fairness, but it’s really just about feeling sorry for themselves.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to play, but maybe he should focus on not getting hurt instead of complaining about the rules. And Nikola Jokic had to play 18 minutes to hit the 65-game mark, but who’s counting?
Charles Barkley summed it up best: “Man, shut the hell up. Y’all voted on that in the collective bargaining, now y’all want to complain.”
This one felt recognizable early. The NBA is a game of inches, and sometimes it comes down to who’s playing the most games.
Original observation: The NBA’s 65-game eligibility rule is just a way to separate the haves from the have-nots.
