Imago
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Imago
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Just when it felt like the season belonged to them, everything changed for the worse. Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were in cruise control, torching up the NBA scoreboards night after night, until their bodies gave in. One pulled up with a Grade 2 hamstring injury, and the other suffered a collapsed lung out of nowhere. They fell one game short of the 65 mark, but after what they showed, the league found a way to reward them. However, not everyone benefited from this announcement, and sadly, Anthony Edwards falls on the other side of this list.
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Doncic, Cunningham, and Edwards had filed an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge to the NBA. It is a last-ditch lifeline for players who fall short of the 65-game rule for reasons beyond their control. However, the bar is steep. A player must prove those absences were unavoidable and, more importantly, that his performance across the season still met award-level standards. So, here’s what the verdict is.
On Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported, “Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Pistons’ Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN.”
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Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Pistons’ Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gUYdUn1q4k
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2026
Luka Doncic, the fresh scoring champion of this season, has averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists across 64 games. Cade Cunningham has averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 9.9 assists in 64 games. Given their performance this season, the league’s consideration feels like a renewed lifeline, which it actually is. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association didn’t contest the filings, a league source told The Athletic.
Both of them had to file their protest no later than Monday, which was a day after the regular season ended. A “challenge expert” chosen by the NBA and NBPA would evaluate their cases and determine if “the sole remedy shall be that the player is deemed eligible for the Applicable Generally Recognized League Honors.” While Doncic’s sky-high numbers spoke for themselves, he missed two games in December to travel to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter. However, miss one game this season due to an automatic suspension following his 16th technical foul, after the initial one was rescinded.
On the other hand, Cunningham’s injury was reportedly considered a condition rather than a basketball injury, and that was part of the analysis of his situation. He had missed 11 consecutive games before returning on April 9.
The league reserves this path for rare cases, not everyday injuries or planned rest. It built the 65-game cutoff to protect credibility, so exceptions stayed limited. It also runs separately from protections tied to late-season injuries. In short, it is a narrow door. Now, if the NBA can carve out exceptions, then does the 65-game rule stop feeling like a firm rule and more like a selective filter? Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards’ appeal was denied. But what exactly happened?
Different treatment for Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards…
Anthony Edwards filed his appeal after the season. He played 61 games. But he fell short of the 65-game requirement. He missed 11 of the Timberwolves’ final 14 games with persistent knee pain, but an independent arbitrator ultimately ruled against him. It means his season ends without awards. That decision stings because he made the All-NBA second team the last two years after playing 79 games. This season, he averaged 28.8 points and carried Minnesota back to the playoffs. He looked like a clear All-NBA pick. However, rules held firm here. And Edwards, unlike Doncic, will watch the honors race from the outside.
Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic barely qualified, each playing exactly 65 games. That line between rule and exception just got blurred. And Doncic and Cunningham stay alive because the league made room for them. However, Anthony Edwards gets shut out. Whatever the reasoning, the 65-game rule, although controversial, played dual roles in this and is bound to break multiple hearts.
