Is this play a travel?

[oarabbus]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9bEdDKMHEPg/UwbKU5E3XhI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/_88IopHhR3c/s1600/1.gif


First of all, leave your LeBron biases at the door. I wish I could have found a gif of someone else but this best illustrates the type of play in question. The first step is NOT a gather step, it's been gathered already. You get "two and a half steps" according to the NBA rulebook, that is, the step you take while gathering, and up to two more. In this place Bron plants his foot after he's already gathered the ball.

Compare to Iggy's (legal) play:

http://i.imgur.com/nzWyo3Z.gif

The gather http://i.imgur.com/UfwxBCB.jpg

[bdreason]

Need to see the whole play.

[russwest0]

Looks like it, but the thing is that's what just about every LeBron drive looks like.

It's like he travels so much that the refs have no choice but to never call it, otherwise they'd be calling traveling every time he attacked the basket.

The biggest thing that pisses me off is when he travels AND blatantly commits an offensive foul and gets away with it... time and time again...

http://gifsforum.com/images_new/gif/other/grand/f67477ea5be0a4eec82c0dcb6f210474.gif

[ImKobe]

It's Lebron. Of course it is.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Some people saying this is a travel too. What you guys think? I don't see it

http://giant.gfycat.com/BreakableEachAustrianpinscher.gif

[oarabbus]

Some people saying this is a travel too. What you guys think? I don't see it

http://giant.gfycat.com/BreakableEachAustrianpinscher.gif


Oh man. It's real hard to see, but I think he does lift his feet quickly in a little shuffle before establishing his left foot as the pivot.

To be honest, I don't blame the refs (or anyone) for not calling this a travel. I think a travel like the one I think Bron did is MUCH more flagrant and a violation of the spirit of the game.

[JebronLames]

Almost all travels called are when a player shuffles their feet. Don't expect travels of three steps to be called as long as it looks smooth.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Some people saying this is a travel too. What you guys think? I don't see it

http://giant.gfycat.com/BreakableEachAustrianpinscher.gif

No one ever calls that anymore. But it is a walk, imo.

[hitmanyr2k]

Looks like it, but the thing is that's what just about every LeBron drive looks like.

It's like he travels so much that the refs have no choice but to never call it, otherwise they'd be calling traveling every time he attacked the basket.

The biggest thing that pisses me off is when he travels AND blatantly commits an offensive foul and gets away with it... time and time again...

http://gifsforum.com/images_new/gif/other/grand/f67477ea5be0a4eec82c0dcb6f210474.gif


Like I've said before, Lebron has bad mechanics on his dribble drives. At times he has no gather step because he picks the ball up way too fast with both hands (probably to protect it) and then has to take at least 3 steps or little bunny steps to get his balance and go up. These are similar plays to the one above.

http://i.imgflip.com/4rksk.gif

http://i.imgur.com/tiYNC5A.gif

[KrizMiz]

http://i.imgur.com/tiYNC5A.gif[/QUOTE]

this one is clearly a travel

[Dro]

Looks like a travel to me...You can't see the whole play but it starts with him putting his left foot down, which to me means he took a step, then he took 2 more steps and took off on his left foot again, thats 3 steps......

[jamal99]

No one ever calls that anymore. But it is a walk, imo.
It is a walk. I do it really often before my shot and other team usually calls it only if they are frustrated by losing...

[oarabbus]

Like I've said before, Lebron has bad mechanics on his dribble drives. At times he has no gather step because he picks the ball up way too fast with both hands (probably to protect it) and then has to take at least 3 steps or little bunny steps to get his balance and go up. These are similar plays to the one above.

http://i.imgflip.com/4rksk.gif

http://i.imgur.com/tiYNC5A.gif


:biggums:

Not to say LeBron isn't the best in the game and an incredible player... but how many guys could average 20+ ppg if they were consistently allowed to do this?

[Rake2204]

Some people saying this is a travel too. What you guys think? I don't see it

http://giant.gfycat.com/BreakableEachAustrianpinscher.gifTechnically I believe that is a travel but as others have said, there seems to have been some leniancy opened up there, as I suppose officials figure there's not a big advantage being taken.

Richard Hamilton used to be borderline obnoxious in that regard. He'd frequently run off screens toward the top of the key, catch the ball on the run, take at least two steps, then hop step and pivot. Somehow it looked kind of natural though and again, no real advantage was gained, so it seemed to just slide.

As for the original post, it's a little tough for my brain to compute without seeing the entire play.


The biggest thing that pisses me off is when he travels AND blatantly commits an offensive foul and gets away with it... time and time again...

http://gifsforum.com/images_new/gif/other/grand/f67477ea5be0a4eec82c0dcb6f210474.gifOnly regarding the specific play you posted, but I can relate to his actions in that instance. I've been there. When I go to split defenders and all they do is blindly reach and grab, sometimes it takes a burst through the seams, attempting to brush off the reaches along the way. I do not think he was trying to hit anyone in the face. Rather, it was an accidental response to attempting to fight through the reachers (who were both likely fouling him prior).


:biggums:

Not to say LeBron isn't the best in the game and an incredible player... but how many guys could average 20+ ppg if they were consistently allowed to do this?I think both of the examples you posted were pretty solid travels but I'm not sure they really affected his ability to score. I think he'd have gotten to the bucket freely on each play, just maybe with a worse gather that would have made him dunk weaker or lay the ball up (instead of being able to build super power for a reverse).

I've traveled like LeBron did on that second one (where one tries to get their steps set after they've already taken a step). It feels so unnatural and bad that I pretty much just stop playing the minute it happens because it's so obvious.

[oarabbus]

Technically I believe that is a travel but as others have said, there seems to have been some leniancy opened up there, as I suppose officials figure there's not a big advantage being taken.

Richard Hamilton used to be borderline obnoxious in that regard. He'd frequently run off screens toward the top of the key, catch the ball on the run, take at least two steps, then hop step and pivot. Somehow it looked kind of natural though and again, no real advantage was gained, so it seemed to just slide.

As for the original post, it's a little tough for my brain to compute without seeing the entire play.

Only regarding the specific play you posted, but I can relate to his actions in that instance. I've been there. When I go to split defenders and all they do is blindly reach and grab, sometimes it takes a burst through the seams, attempting to brush off the reaches along the way. I do not think he was trying to hit anyone in the face. Rather, it was an accidental response to attempting to fight through the reachers (who were both likely fouling him prior).


http://share.gifyoutube.com/vZXNzV.gif


I can't really tell off the full play to be honest. I still think he gathers, plants the foot, then takes the two steps (IMO a travel) but it's pretty damn hard to tell.

To be fair Serge broke LeBron's nose on that play so maybe we can give him the benefit of the doubt here :lol

[UK2K]

I think both are legal.

Just because guys now can make it from the three point line to the rim on two steps doesn't mean its a travel all of a sudden.

[navy]

http://share.gifyoutube.com/vZXNzV.gif


I can't really tell off the full play to be honest. I still think he gathers, plants the foot, then takes the two steps (IMO a travel) but it's pretty damn hard to tell.
That's the thing, if you cant really tell while looking at a replay, why would a ref call it in a game? The gather step is hard to judge without slow motion, and it looked like Lebron simultaneously gathered and took a step. No ref is calling that.

In fact from this angle it looks 100% clean no debate.

[Marchesk]

I think both are legal.

Just because guys now can make it from the three point line to the rim on two steps doesn't mean its a travel all of a sudden.

Right, because guys like Dr J, Bill Russell, Dominique, and a 100 other players in the past couldn't do that. What, have strides increased along with players getting bigger (but barely taller), faster, stronger?

Lebron is walking, but it's like Shaq committing offensive fouls. They let him get away with it. One has to wonder how the lenient 2 steps and a gather is going to evolve over the next several decades. They already let guys get away with 3 or 4 steps as it is.

Will the dribble exist by 2050? Seriously.

[UK2K]

Right, because guys like Dr J, Bill Russell, Dominique, and a 100 other players in the past couldn't do that. What, have strides increased along with players getting bigger (but barely taller), faster, stronger?

Lebron is walking, but it's like Shaq committing offensive fouls. They let him get away with it. One has to wonder how the lenient 2 steps and a gather is going to evolve over the next several decades. They already let guys get away with 3 or 4 steps as it is.

Will the dribble exist by 2050? Seriously.
Except now, there is no single Dr J. Everyone can do it because everyone is able. You see it more now because its a valid, effective move.

The 3 and four step travels are annoying (like on a fast break dunk) but that dribble two step move we see so much is perfectly legal.

[buddha]

LeBron blatantly travels and hooks with his off hand atleast 8 times a game and never gets called.