Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman has sharply criticized the NBA's 65-game awards eligibility rule amid ongoing debate, as Nikola Jokić's knee injury threatens to disqualify the star center despite his decade-long durability.
The controversy over the NBA's 65-game minimum—introduced in 2023 to combat load management—intensified after Jokić's hyperextended knee in a December 29 loss to the Miami Heat sidelined him, as previously reported.
Following the Nuggets' January 9 win over the Atlanta Hawks, Adelman voiced frustration in his postgame presser: "I understand the 65-game rule, but a guy who NEVER misses games for a decade, it bothers me a little bit. This is not somebody who sits out. He NEVER sits out."
Jokić has played 65+ games every season since joining Denver, even missing 13 in 2022-23 but still qualifying under the rule. Despite his absence, the Nuggets sit at 25-13, third in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers.
As the 2025-26 season hits its midpoint, Denver eyes Jokić's recovery ahead of a home tilt vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on January 11 at 8 p.m. ET, then road games at the New Orleans Pelicans on January 13 at 8 p.m. ET and Dallas Mavericks on January 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
