In a surprising move ahead of the playoffs, the NBA granted end-of-season award eligibility to Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham despite both falling short of the 65-game requirement.
The decision keeps Dončić in the MVP conversation after an outstanding season, but not everyone agrees with the league’s approach.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticized the move, arguing that making exceptions undermines the rule itself.
Emmanuel Acho Believes the NBA Is Headed Toward ‘Anarchy’ Over Award Exemptions
The NBA’s minimum-game rule, introduced to curb load management, requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify for major awards. While intended to promote availability, the rule has drawn criticism, especially from players with contract incentives tied to postseason honors.
The league cited the “extraordinary circumstances” provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to grant exemptions. Cunningham missed time due in part to a collapsed lung diagnosed in March. Dončić, meanwhile, was granted an exception after missing time for the birth of his daughter.
However, the lack of clear standards for what qualifies as “extraordinary” has raised concerns. Anthony Edwards also applied for an exemption, but his appeal has not been approved.
“I love it for Luka, I love it for Cade, I hate it for the NBA,” Acho said. “Emotions can be gray, rules have to be black and white… Otherwise, there’s no point in having a rule. A line is definitive; you know when you cross it and when you don’t. The 65-game rule is definitive; you know when you cross it, you know when you don’t.”
Acho questioned how the NBA distinguishes between different circumstances.
“Antman missed games due to a knee injury, and he appealed, but they haven’t accepted it yet. So, the birth of a child is fair. Collapsed lung, fair. But ankle, no good, a knee, no good? Is a collapsed lung more important than a torn ligament or Achilles tendon…Unless you want pure anarchy in the NBA, I do not believe rules can be gray,” Acho concluded.
Edwards missed 11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ final 14 games due to a right knee injury, along with earlier absences from hamstring issues and illness.
Despite that, he logged 2,137 minutes this season, more than several award-eligible players, including Kawhi Leonard, Victor Wembanyama, and LaMelo Ball.
The debate now shifts to how consistently the NBA will apply its own rules moving forward and whether more clarity is needed around what truly qualifies as “extraordinary.”
