2024-02-03 15:29:37
Some NBA players have expressed their displeasure recently with the league’s newly implemented 65-game minimum for seasonal awards, claiming the rule has forced players to play through injuries. However, at least two prominent former players believe it’s entirely fair.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley explained on Thursday night that he has no issue with the rule, and he even blamed the players for forcing the league to require such a mandate.
“These players got nobody to blame but themselves,” Barkley said. “The Players Association signed off on the deal. I thought it should have been 70 games, personally.”
“These players got nobody to blame but themselves. …It’s a fair rule. I thought it should’ve been 70 [games].”
Chuck on the NBA’s 65-game qualification requirement for postseason awards. pic.twitter.com/UyEr2X1PLP— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 2, 2024
According to Barkley, some players take too many rest days and are disrespecting the paying customers by doing so. He believes the NBA had to take action to keep its stars on the court.
“These guys have put themselves in a situation where they didn’t respect the game and started resting and load-managing,” he said. “The NBA had to do something.”
Barkley isn’t the only former player with this opinion. Joe Dumars, who currently serves as an NBA executive vice president, mentioned it is a “privilege” to play in the league and pointed out that all the current players signed off on the rule.
“This was not some arbitrary rule that the NBA office put in. This was negotiated with the Players Association. This was the owners. This was the competition committee,” Dumars said Thursday on Sirius XM NBA radio. “During the CBA negotiations, a lot of numbers were thrown around, and it all settled on 65. All the stakeholders in the NBA signed off and said that’s a fair number.”
“All the stakeholders in the NBA signed off and said [65 games] is a fair number”
NBA Executive VP Joe Dumars is standing behind the new rule this year requiring players to play in 65 games to quality for post-season awards@termineradio | @jumpshot8 | @SiriusXMSports pic.twitter.com/uXGapfuugu— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 2, 2024
After the season ends, any player who didn’t appear in at least 65 games will not be eligible for awards, a notable rule considering last year’s MVP, Joel Embiidalready has missed 13 games this season
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