Teams avoiding paying All-Star’s $151 million by exploiting 65-game rule, reveals ex-player
Gilbert Arenas feels the NBA should tweak the 65-game rule to prevent teams from taking advantage and underpay star players.
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Gilbert Arenas feels teams are exploiting the NBA's 65-game rule
The NBA brought in the 65-game rule to prevent players from voluntarily sitting out due to injury. The result has seen players being denied the chance to battle for end of season awards as well as diminishing their chances of signing max or super max contracts. At the time of incorporation, former player Gilbert Arenas were appreciative of the rule.
Considering how hard players of his era and before worked to try and play all 82 games, today’s game has become easier. Even then, players were routinely skipping games feigning injury, in order to stay fresh towards the end of the season.
Most notably, superstars Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid came into the limelight for exploiting the loopholes previously. Now with the rule in place, Embiid will likely miss the MVP race for the second year running.
Tyrese Haliburton was vocally against the rule as he was set to miss out on the chance to earn a Super Max contract. Gilbert Arenas has seen players miss the 65-game rule last season and feels it is the teams who are benefitting from it.
You put a 65-game rule in because the players wanted to load manage. Everything we’ve heard since then has been the team wanting to sit a player. You are convincing me to sit to get under this thing, so I don’t win awards, I don’t win the Super Max. It benefits you.
Gilbert Arenas said on Gil’s Arena
The average All-Star doesn’t qualify for the super max because of the 65-game minimum rule ? pic.twitter.com/8FK74eTGZJ
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 8, 2024
The former All-Star mentioned that players want to return to play, but teams stopping them from doing so is only benefitting them. The players are losing out on Max or Super Max deals because of this loophole.
Gilbert Arenas used stats to call out the NBA
The game has become easier as the physicality of the years Arenas played in is no more. However, the 42-year-old feels the teams taking advantage of the loophole is where the 65-game rule is not working. His co-host Josiah Johnson mentioned these stats.
So, 2003 the average All-Star plays 79 games a season. In 2023, the average All-Star plays in 64.
Josiah Johnson on Gil’s Arena
Hearing this, Arenas said:
Think about that, your average All-Star don’t qualify for Super Max.
Gilbert Arenas responding to Josiah Johnson’s stats
With this discussion, the former All-NBA player reemphasized his point that the 65-game rule is not benefitting the players. Neither is it helping the NBA as long as teams do not follow it. As long as the loopholes are not ironed out, teams will probably take advantage and underpay superstars.
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Joseph Varghese
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