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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley criticized NBA players Sunday night for their complaints about the 65-game eligibility rule to be considered for awards and honors.
The NBA requires players to play at least 65 games to be considered for the league’s biggest awards. 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 not been considered.
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Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley sits courtside during an NBA Cup game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
But Barkley had no time for the players’ complaints.
“I don’t think 65 games is too much to ask for,” he said. “Man, shut up. You voted on that in collective bargaining, now you want to complain. If you weren’t sitting on your asses… half the time, drinking margaritas and stuff, they wouldn’t have put the 65-game threshold there. Shut up.”
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets went down to the wire when it came to eligibility.
Wembanyama played 64 regular season games and the NBA Cup Final counts toward his total. Jokic reached 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 in 68 games.
Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley attends an NBA Cup game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 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 be ineligible after only playing in 64 games and missing time with a collapsed lung.
Cunningham’s injury prompted 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 criticism of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it should be abolished or reformed to create an exception for major injuries,” the union said. “Since its implementation, 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 as Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Image Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver strongly backed the rule.
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“I’m not prepared to say it’s not working,” Silver said in March. “It’s working. I’m not willing to say that because there is a sense of unfairness to a player, the rule doesn’t work.”
