ESPN reports:
One of the first things many people noticed about Caron Butler after his arrival to the Dallas Mavericks is that the guard likes to chew straws during games.
The NBA obviously took notice as well.
NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson phoned Butler on Tuesday and told him to leave his straws at home. Butler did not play against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a reaction to medication, so he was unavailable for comment.
But the Mavs confirmed that the league is serious about outlawing straw chewing.
“It’s against the rules,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.
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It certainly makes sense for the NBA to not want players on a basketball court at games to have any sort of objects with them, aside from protective items worn for health reasons.
As for chewing straws while on the bench, well, let’s face it, the act of taking a piece of plastic and sticking it in your mouth to chew on is a bit silly-looking. And it’s not the most fun thing to look at. Perhaps the NBA wants to prevent its star employees from looking extra silly while doing their very public jobs.
Also, let’s say a fan throws beer at Ron Artest. If he has a little plastic straw with him, it becomes a deadly weapon!
