Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert missed a 2024 playoff game against the Denver Nuggets to be present for the birth of his son. Back then, Gilbert Arenas ignited a debate that cut to the heart of fatherhood vs. professional obligation, arguing on his podcast that NBA players operated under a tacit understanding: attending the birth was acceptable, but missing a game around it was not. Now, two years later, the same thing happened with Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, and the NBA and NBPA have formally vindicated his decision to fly to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter in December. That was a choice that nearly cost him his MVP candidature and All-NBA eligibility, and one he addressed on Thursday as the verdict was handed down.

The league and the players’ association issued a joint statement confirming that Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had each qualified for end-of-season awards under the Extraordinary Circumstances Provision in the CBA, “taking into account the totality of the circumstances” for both players. Doncic, who finished the regular season with 64 games after a hamstring injury ended his year early, had missed two contests (December 4 and 5) to travel abroad for the birth of his second daughter. Those two games were the margin, and the NBA has waived off the 65-game threshold for him.

“I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision,” Doncic posted on X. “It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.”

Cunningham, who ended the season with 64 games, falling just one short after he returned from being sidelined due to a collapsed lung in March, was ruled eligible. A third challenge, filed by Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, was advanced to an independent arbitrator and denied, leaving Edwards out of consideration for the award despite appearing in 60 games. A knee injury kept him 4 games short of the threshold. Doncic led the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game, while Cunningham averaged 23.9 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds as the driving force behind the Pistons’ No. 1 seed in the East.

With all three appeals resolved, the NBA is expected to send award ballots to the voters sometime on Thursday, and they will be due back on Friday. The Lakers’ support proved central to Doncic’s case. His agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, announced the intent to file an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge right after the hamstring injury, framing the December absences as the foundation of the argument.

Per the CBA’s provisions, a successful challenge required proving that “it was impracticable” for the player to play in the missed games, and that he would’ve reached 65 without those absences. The league and union agreed on all counts without requiring the case to advance to an independent arbitrator, a distinction that separated Doncic and Cunningham’s outcomes from Edwards’.

NBPA Continues to Push for Rule Change Despite Doncic Win

The favorable verdict has not softened the players’ union’s position on the rule itself. According to Marc Stein, the NBPA continues to regard the 65-game threshold as fundamentally flawed and intends to keep pushing for reform. “The Players Association, I’m told, continues to regard the 65-game rule as a ‘rigid rule’ that it wants to change,” Stein reported on X. “Union officials acknowledge that the rule was collectively bargained at the time yet insist it was a league-initiated proposal and are determined to keep seeking changes, believing it should be revisited for next season so the focus is on curbing load management.”

The NBPA previously issued a statement calling the 65-game threshold an “arbitrary and overly rigid quota.” They argued that too many deserving players had been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors since its implementation in 2023. Furthermore, the union indicated that it intends to present a formal proposal to the league within the coming weeks, seeking a resolution related to significant injuries and a reevaluation of the games-played criteria.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, however, told reporters that he believed the rule has been a success and is working as intended, seemingly resisting calls for change. “Adam Silver pretty much shot down the idea of changing it,” Stein noted on the FanDuel All NBA Podcast. “That’s more defiance from Adam Silver than we usually get. Like, usually, no matter what question you throw at Adam Silver at a press conference, he’s going to say, ‘We’ll talk about it. We’re going to look at it.’”

The gap between those two positions, a union that viewed Thursday’s ruling as a fix applied to a broken system, and a commissioner who views that same system as working, sets up the battle that will play out over the summer. Several players remain ineligible for major individual awards this season despite notable seasons, including LeBron James, whose 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team will end, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry.