Kyrie Irving now among notable NBA players ineligible for awards due to 65-game rule
The NBA world received some devastating news when we learned that Kyrie Irving would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
While this is just more bad luck for Dallas during a series of unfortunate events, it also has some notable impact on the rest of the league. Irving ended the season with 50 games played for Dallas, which falls short of the 65-game rule in the new collective bargaining agreement.
65-GAME RULE: The NBA’s new star player participation rules, explained
Irving is no longer eligible to receive awards such as Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year, which he was not exactly likely to win beforehand. But he is also unable to get a nod for All-NBA, which he had made a strong case for since Luka Doncic (also ineligible) was traded to the Lakers.
The full list of awards impacted by the 65-game rule include MVP, DPOY, All-NBA, All-Defense, and Most Improved. Many of these honors occasionally come with contract incentives or the ability to negotiate for more lucrative deals in the future, like the supermax contract.
One unusual quirk: Not only does a player have to play in 65 games, but he also has to appear in at least 20 minutes of action for his eligibility in that game to count toward the qualification.
Note: The 65-game rule does not apply to Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, or the All-Rookie teams.
Other players who are already no longer eligible for the awards listed above include Victor Wembanyama (who was the favorite for DPOY before his season-ending injury) and Irving’s new teammate, Anthony Davis.
We have also included some other names to consider as we approach the end of the season, knowing these players can only miss a few more games before
Most Valuable Player/All-NBA
- Victor Wembanyama
- Anthony Davis
- Kyrie Irving*
- Franz Wagner
- Luka Doncic
Other notable names: Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porzingis, LaMelo Ball, Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Lauri Markkanen
Defensive Player of the Year/All-Defensive
- Victor Wembanyama
- Anthony Davis
- Alex Caruso
- Isaiah Hartenstein
- Ausar Thompson
Other notable names: Kris Dunn, Goga Bitadze, Keon Ellis, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Johnson, Dean Wade, Franz Wagner, Dereck Lively II, Chet Holmgren
Most Improved Player
- Victor Wembanyama
- Ty Jerome
- Santi Aldama
- Jeremy Sochan
- Tari Eason
Some other close cases
- Kevin Durant / All-NBA (3 games remaining)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo / All-NBA (4 games remaining)
- Draymond Green / All-Defensive (0 games remaining)
- Fred VanVleet / All-Defensive (1 game remaining)
- Norman Powell / Most Improved (2 games remaining)
- Trey Murphy / Most Improved (1 game remaining)
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