NBA fans want 65-game rule change after Cade Cunningham collapsed lung
After fans learned that Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung, many think league officials need to revisit their policy. Cunningham, who played 61 games before his injury, is expected to miss extended time before the postseason begins. This means he will become ineligible for any regular season awards like Most Valuable Player or All-NBA because he will not meet the 65-game rule .
This is especially significant for basketball fans because several other players are already ineligible based on the qualifications. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler III, Stephen Curry, Austin Reaves, Joel Embiid and LeBron James are disqualified already. Nikola Jokić (one game remaining), Victor Wembanyama (two games), Kawhi Leonard (two games), Devin Booker (one game), Evan Mobley (two games) and Deni Avdija (two games) are in danger as well.
Sorry Cade youve led your team to the best turnaround in NBA history but we cant give you any awards recognizing that cause someone fell on top of your lungs with a month left. Should’ve played 4 more games — gio🦁 (@Clapped_Dre) March 19, 2026 If Silver announced today that he’s changing the MVP/All-NBA minimum from 65 to 62 (20 games missed max), would anyone object? Just admit you made the number too high and fix it on the fly.
Cade missing out on All-NBA would be outrageous. — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 19, 2026 i have not spoken on the 65 game rule because i’m ultimately not super passionate about it, but this cade situation is the first thing that’s really pushed me over the edge. he’s had an all-NBA season and absolutely shouldn’t be penalized for a collapsed lung with 14 games left.
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) March 19, 2026 Cade Cunningham missing out on All-NBA completely despite playing at a clear top 10 level for 60 games is going to be so stupid. Missing 20 games should bar you from making first team sure but there’s no logical explanation for him missing out on 2nd and even 3rd team. — 500 🏎 (@Kameron_Hay) March 19, 2026 I know this isn’t anyone’s concern right now, but if Cade misses the cutoff and fails to qualify for All-NBA, it would be a clear sign that they need to go back to the drawing board on those rules.