The annual leave of 17 days is a great benefit for ordinary workers. However, for NBA players, this seemingly generous break turned out to be a huge challenge. Under the NBA's new rules for MVP, All-NBA and All-Defensive Player selection, players are required to maintain more than 65 games, which means they can only play a maximum of 17 games. This rule has made the season more intense for the players.
Under the pressure of this rule, some stars are already approaching a tipping point. Take, for example, Haliburton, the young star of the Pacers, who has played in 34 games so far, while the team has completed 47 games. Haliburton will need to miss a small number of games in the remaining 35 games to qualify for the selection. For the players, it's not just a matter of one game, it's a big test of the contract and the future.
For stars who struggle to stay fit, 65 games is a pretty high bar. Like Haliburton, Embiid will only be able to miss five more games. However, this rule is not just a formal requirement for players, as even if they are injured, they need to spend at least 20 minutes on the pitch to be effective. This leaves players with a huge balance between body and contract.
Haliburton, in the final year of his rookie contract, signed a five-year max contract last year for a whopping $204.5 billion, up to 24.5 billion. This is not only a considerable income, but also a recognition of the player's personal value. However, there are huge variables behind this contract. Based on the current stats, Haliburton's chances of being named to the All-Star Team are quite high, but if it doesn't happen, he will lose as much as $44.55 million. That's an astronomical amount for any player.
Haliburton made his displeasure clear about this rule, calling it "stupid." He pointed out that while many players think it's a stupid rule, it's the will of the bosses and as players, they have to do their job. This has caused dissatisfaction with the season's schedule, but it seems that they can only play by the rules and try to keep their appearances.
However, from a fan perspective, this provision may be a good thing. Seeing a star take a break due to injury in the game is undoubtedly a suffocating scene, and the introduction of this regulation has improved the spectacle of the game in order to ensure the attendance of the stars. In the context of the NBA's greater encouragement of offense, the defensive scale continues to tighten, and fans expect to see a strong conversation, not an injury absence.
Overall, the NBA's new rules are a challenge for players and a guarantee for fans. However, this also raised questions about the players' scheduling. While pursuing the spectacle of the game, should we also pay attention to the physical health of the players? After all, behind a game, it's the hard work and sacrifice that the players put in on the field. Perhaps, the NBA needs to take the needs of players and fans more into account when formulating rules to find a more balanced solution.