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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley ripped NBA players on Sunday night over player complaints about the 65-game eligibility rule to be considered for awards and honors.
The NBA requires players to play at least 65 games in order to be considered for the league’s highest accolades. The rule became a source of consternation this year in a hotly contested MVP race as some players, who have been playing at a high level, have missed out on consideration.
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Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley sits courtside during an NBA Cup game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
But Barkley had no time for players’ complaints.
“I don’t think 65 games is a lot to ask,” he said. “Man, shut the hell up. Y’all voted on that in the collective bargaining, now y’all want to complain. If y’all wasn’t sitting on your a– half the time, sipping margaritas and stuff, they wouldn’t have put the 65-game threshold in there. Shut the hell up.”
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic each came down to the wire when it came to eligibility.
Wembanyama played 64 regular-season games with the NBA Cup Final counting toward his total. Jokic hit the 65-game minimum after playing 18 minutes against the Spurs on Sunday. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also in contention, having played 68 games.
Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley attends an NBA Cup game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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But Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who is having one of the best seasons of his NBA career, will not be eligible after only playing 64 games and missing time with a collapsed lung.
Cunningham’s injury sparked a statement from the National Basketball Players Association last month.
“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 union said. “Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stood firmly behind the rule.
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“I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said in March. “It is working. I’m not ready to say that because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, the rule doesn’t work.”