Two years after the NBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement reshaped the salary-cap system — limiting how much teams can spend on non-superstars — the deal is drawing criticism from stars. This time, their frustration centers on another provision of the agreement: the 65-game requirement for end-of-season awards, a threshold many stars are in danger of missing amid a surge of early-season injuries.
Players, including Tyrese Haliburton, dislike the rule; the Indiana Pacers star called the threshold “stupid” after a Pacers practice in January 2024. A person familiar with the NBA Players Association’s plans will push for the threshold to be reduced in the next CBA, which will come after the 2029-30 season.
NBA stars (defined by the league as players who made an All-Star Game or an All-NBA team in the previous three seasons), entering play Monday, had missed 74 percent of games this season.
Just more than a month into the regular season, stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Darius Garland, Ja Morant, Jalen Williams and Zion Williamson have missed significant time. Meanwhile, Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard have yet to suit up this season because of injury.
“I would bet this year, it’s probably a combination of a little bit of a fluke, but also teams just being more cautious with their stars,” said Dr. Brian Schulz, an orthopedic surgeon who works with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
The spurt of injuries not only hurts the league’s product on the court but also affects the legitimacy of its awards. To qualify for the NBA’s end-of-season honors, a player must appear in at least 65 regular-season games. Missing more than 17 games renders a player ineligible for Most Valuable Player, All-NBA Teams, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team selections.
Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama, James and others are in danger of missing the threshold. James, a 23-year veteran who has missed 15 games, is at risk of being left off the All-NBA Team for the first time since his rookie season. At 40, part of that could be attributed to his age, but there’s also a possibility that 21-year-old Wembanyama misses out on the All-Defensive Team despite leading the league in blocks per game by more than one. With Wembanyama on the court, the Spurs’ defensive rating improves from 117.2 compared to 105.5 when he’s off.
The NBA introduced the threshold in 2023 to boost competitiveness during the regular season. During CBA negotiations, the league advocated for the threshold, while the players association was hesitant, according to a source briefed on the matter. The two sides agreed as the players association conceded the clause.
In a 57-page report sent to teams last year, the league found that star players in the 1980s and 1990s missed an average of around 10 games per season. That figure rose to 13.9 games in the 2000s, 17.5 games in the 2010s and 23.9 games this decade.
The league’s new threshold seemed to work. Last season, star players appeared in 81 percent of regular-season games, up slightly from 79 percent in 2022 and 76 percent in 2021, according to Sportico.
“There’s no magic to the 65, but we’re trying to take into account games, of course, that are going to be missed because there are injuries, and maybe occasionally even it’s necessary for a player to rest,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at the 2023 NBA Finals. “This is something we negotiated with the players association. Everybody has an interest in the league putting its best foot forward in a highly competitive regular season.”
We’ve seen the flip side of the coin this season. Injuries, particularly calf and hamstring issues, are piling up across the league. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Golden State’s training staff believes the wear and tear, speed and the number of games players are participating in are contributing to the rash of injuries.
Schulz tends to agree. Players are quicker and stronger than ever, he said, which can lead to more soft-tissue injuries.
“It’s the toll of the long season, the travel, the pace of the game, which only gets faster, more physical in the playoffs,” Schulz said. “And I think it’s also (because) these guys are so strong now, that the way that they train is different than how they trained 15 or 20 years ago. They got to be leaner because it’s just a faster game.”
Schulz said he envisions most players are fully aware of the threshold when it comes to returning from injury. Since players receive financial incentives for awards and All-NBA selections, many could push to play enough games to qualify. Schulz said a team’s medical staff and players will often discuss how to balance proper rest against the incentives for playing.
Whether the 65-game rule ultimately elevates the league’s product or undermines it may depend on how often the league’s stars can stay healthy enough to meet the threshold. Through the first month of the season, the early signs are not encouraging.