OK, maybe its because I’ve been out of Chicago for a while. Or maybe its because the Bulls SUCK these days. Or maybe its because the fans really like those big slam dunks that MJ used to do.
But (to get to the point here) is it me or has the NBA sofened its rules on traveling? I see all these guys make these running leaps towards the basket ala MJ and I yell, “he’s traveling!!” at my TV but the refs do nothing. The players take 3 maybe 4 steps without bouncing the ball, I just don’t understand.
Did I miss some change in the rules?
When did this happen and why didn’t I get the memo?
This isn’t new, as far as I can tell. Magic Johnson was the guy I first noticed it with. (My friend and I, when we were teenagers playing b-ball in the driveway, used to take 10-15 steps–a bit of an exaggeration, but not much–and announce that we were Magic driving to the hoop.) I’m sure it goes further back than that. Refs and league officials probably figure (incorrectly, in my case)that fans want to see rules loosened up to keep the game interesting. This is partially why I haven’t watched an NBA game in years.
That’s because they can’t hear you. You’re yelling at the TV, not them. You need to understand that. 
Don’t bother throwing the remote control at them, either, you’re liable to ruin a perfectly good TV.
[sub]Sorry, I had to do this.[/sub]
One of my favorite all time dunks is by Shawn Kemp, mid 90’s I think, he was pretty new to the league at the time.
However, I counted at least five steps, I have friends that say six and seven respectively!
Oh, and don’t get me started on the various “second” violations. When was the last time you saw three or ten (fifteen even?) second foul called?
Heck, it’s been so long I forget which amount of seconds is what.
— G. Raven
If NBA (or even NCAA) officials called travelling everytime they could, there would be a lot of whistles.
As for the counts, the only one that is ever openly flouted is the three-second rule. Keep in mind, that the three second count starts over once the ball is shot. The 10 seconds in the backcourt rule is rarely a problem in the NBA as few teams press in the backcourt. The rule will change to 8 seconds next year.
NBA officials can use the 24-second clock to determine if a 10-second violation has occurred. College officials keep the count themselves.
There are also 3-second rule violations on defense, which are way too confusing to explain. Fortunately, most of them are being tossed out next year.
Are you sure about this, Bob? I thought they were adding the 3-second rule for defenders next year, as sort of a trade-off for allowing zone defenses.
No, there is a rule.
If anyone can make of sense of it, here is an example from the official rules of the NBA.
I think this means that if an offensive player on the weakside (i.e. the side where the ball isn’t) is standing outside the key, his defender can’t be standing inside the key for more than 2.9 seconds.
I think.
As for the offensive three seconds, not only does it start over on a shot, but players who receive the ball in the key at the count of three are allowed to drive to the basket and shoot or immediately pass the ball and try to get out, so often they look like they will be in for five or six seconds.
Quoth BobT:
If they called travelling every time that they could, most players would stop travelling. It’s funny, but that’s the same excuse my ninth-grade gym teacher used for not interfering in the riots disguised as basketball games.
Ah…that’s the old illegal defense rule, I guess. I see why it was never called consistently, now.
I think the rule change has simply put the same restriction on the defensive players as there was on the offensive players…ie, no more than three seconds in the lane.
Chronos sayeth
. And every viewer would soon turn their tv to anything else.
I haven’t watched the NBA since the early 1960’s. Yes, it’s entertainment. No, it it is no longer basketball.
Basketball is still being played(marginally) in college hoops.
Is there any other sport/game that has trivialized itself as has basketball? I doubt it.
If every penalty were called in hockey, it would make for very long games with lots of power plays.
Holding could be called nearly every play in the NFL.
BobT Good response.
I guess it must be more visible in the NBA. Is that the difference?
Not many people watch hockey as compared to basketball and the holding calls in the NFL are committed by the linemen, whom we aren’t watching very closely.
However, in a basketball game, you have to be blind to not notice that the guy with the ball is travelling.
Yes, and aside from the various travelling and three second violations that aren’t called, there’s the carrying over that Magic Johnson did, oh, about every time he dribbled the ball up from the backcourt (watch an ESPN classic game involving the Lakers and you’ll see what I mean).
By the way, there was a pretty flagrant basket interference non-call against David Robinson (on a tip in) in today’s Spurs-Lakers game. Turned out not to affect the outcome, at least.