Has The NBA’s 65-Game Rule Backfired?
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Has The NBA’s 65-Game Rule Backfired?

Load management has become a problem plaguing the NBA and it’s something that commissioner Adam Silver was adamant about rooting out and eliminating. It’s the act of keeping a player out of a game even if they aren’t sick. It’s used as a technique to keep superstars healthy for the entirety of the lengthy 82-game season. And while load management makes a lot of sense on paper, it’s heartbreaking to fans who travel hundreds of miles and sometimes spend thousands of dollars only to find out that their favorite players aren’t even suiting up because they are trying to stay in good shape.

So Silver and the league enacted a new rule in the 2023-24 season. Any player who wanted to earn the coveted end-of-season awards like MVP, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, and more, would have to play in at least 65 games. It made a lot of sense at the time, but the limitations of this rule have become glaringly apparent recently.

Joel Embiid is on the way to his second MVP trophy this year. Well, he was on the way to his second MVP trophy. A few weeks ago, Embiid suffered a serious knee injury and was forced to get surgery. Because of that, he will not participate in 65 games and he will be ineligible for winning Most Valuable Player.

Upon the news of Embiid’s injury, a few NBA stars came out to lambast the 65-game rule. They said that it was this new regulation that forced Embiid to play when he was already on the verge of a serious injury. In the weeks leading up to his knee problem, Embiid was facing issues here and there and was periodically sitting out of games. But with backlash from fans and the media, as well as the looming 65-game rule, Embiid suited back up, probably when he shouldn’t have. He rejoined his team, he got hurt, and now he is out for the foreseeable future.

Some NBA icons say that the 65-game rule should be eliminated as soon as possible. It’s leading to serious injuries like Embiid’s, they claim, and it was unnecessary in the first place. They agree that load management has gone too far but they also feel that the league’s response was too drastic, too limited in scope, and didn’t recognize how it would lead to truly serious injuries.

Although they hear complaints about missed calls, rowdy fans, and tough schedules all the time, the NBA isn’t used to such a backlash, especially from a rule that so many fans approve of. Therefore, they are in a tough position. Do they alter the rule requiring players participate in 65 games per season or face the wrath of angry athletes who value their health and the health of their peers? It’s not easy being commissioner of the NBA these days and Adam Silver has his work cut out for him.

Brandon Marcus
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