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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley ripped into NBA players Sunday night following 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 to be eligible for the league’s highest honors. The rule became a source of consternation this year in a hotly contested MVP race because some players, who were playing at a high level, were overlooked.
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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 November 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
But Barkley didn’t have time to listen to the players’ complaints.
“I don’t think 65 games is a lot to ask,” he said. “Dude, shut up. You all voted on this in collective bargaining, now you all want to complain. If you weren’t sitting around half the time, sipping margaritas and stuff, they wouldn’t have put the 65-game threshold in there. Shut up.”
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets each went all the way when it came to eligibility.
Wembanyama played in 64 regular season games, with the NBA Cup Finals counting 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 the running, 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 not be eligible after playing in just 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 indictment of the 65-game rule and another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for serious injuries,” the union said. “Since its inception, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors due to 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, Indiana on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver strongly supported the rule.
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“I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said in March. “It works. I’m not prepared to say that because there is a feeling of unfairness for a player that the rule doesn’t work.”
