We've reached the point in the season when the chatter about potential winners of individual awards is getting louder by the day, both in the media and around NBA hallways. And no race probably generates more talk than the MVP conversation, which, by all accounts, is set to tighten even further before the regular season wraps up.
That is partly due to the fantastic play of several guys who could easily find themselves at the top of the list, and partly because of the recently implemented 65-game rule.
That factor will play a crucial role for a handful of players dancing on the edge of that magical threshold. And Kendrick Perkins is one guy who argued that availability must weigh heavily in the conversation and did not hold back.
"Being available should be part of whether or not you win the MVP. We gotta stop f—ing around with it, man. Like, you know MJ was playing 79, averaging probably 79 games a year…" Perkins said in the recent episode of "Road Trippin Show."
Perkins spent 14 years in the league before transitioning into the role of an analyst and a media personality, so he knows a thing or two about happenings that are invisible from the outside view. And while modern players are often under fire for increased sitting out of games, a phenomenon that has taken on the name load management, the Association responded in its own way. The "65-game rule" is part of the NBA's Player Participation Policy, and was introduced in the 2023-2024 season.
So where exactly is the problem?
Over the years, many stars, justified or not, have found themselves criticized for their "refusal" to suit up every night. But Big Perk offered a different perspective, saying there is an entire team of specialists working tirelessly behind the scenes to craft what they believe is a bulletproof optimization plan. And more often than not, that includes sitting out a game or two, even when it might not look necessary from the outside.
"Let's go behind the scenes, because a lot of people don't understand, and a lot of people criticize the players when they sit out, and not realizing that, a lot of times, it's not in the player's control. A lot of times, when a player walk into training camp, especially if you are a franchise player, a team has all these guys behind the scenes now…" Perkins added.
"It's a lot going on behind the scenes that the actual, the fans of the games, they don't know about," Big Perk concluded.
Perkins' insights only underline how much detail is monitored in modern basketball and sports in general. The amount of available data, medical tools, and high-tech equipment is greater than ever before. Players carry multi-million-dollar investments on their shoulders, and caution is never in short supply.
However, it also feels like there are more injuries than ever ravaging the league, and this season, that might play a decisive role in the MVP outcome.
Perkins is right that players do not deserve all the blame for load management, but there will always be a line between smart preservation and the simple expectation that the best should be out as much as possible, no matter the schedule, sore body or anything in between.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
