Victor Wembanyama eligible for MVP, other awards after playing in 65th game this season despite rib injury
Victor Wembanyama is eligible to win the MVP award, but will he actually do it?
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama’s pursuit of the MVP award is still alive. Wembanyama is officially eligible for end-of-season awards after playing at least 20 minutes in Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks Wembanyama was in danger of missing that threshold after sustaining a rib injury during the team’s 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 6. With just three games left in the regular season following that injury, Wembanyama didn’t have much time to recover if he wanted to be eligible for the NBA’s end-of-year awards.
He needed just one more game to be eligible for those awards. Thanks to a rule agreed to by the players and league in the latest collective-bargaining agreement, NBA players need to participate in 65 games in a single season in order to be eligible for end-of-year awards. The league introduced the measure as a way to prevent tanking, and ensure star players take the court when healthy.
But this season, the rule has taken some prominent names out of award consideration , including Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Anthony Edwards, among many others. While those players didn’t necessarily have a shot to jump into MVP consideration due to those injuries, other superstars with more realistic shots at earning an end-of-year nod were also affected by the rule. Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham won’t be eligible for All-NBA honors due to a lung issue .
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić, who put his name in the MVP race after a blazing hot month of play, will not qualify for the award due to a hamstring injury . Dončić will miss out on eligibility by just one game. Wembanyama found himself in the exact same spot.