BasketBloom.net: Traveling in the NBA (http://www.basketbloom.net/2007/04/traveling-in-nba.html)

I was watching the Mav-Warriors game last night. It was sometime in the third quarter, I believe. And the refs whistled Josh Howard at the top of the key for what looked to be a traveling violation. But I wasn't sure. Traveling is weird. There are clear rules that define what makes for traveling in the NBA, but in a game that moves so fast, traveling seems to be defined -- or at least recognized -- by intuition. Often a move just looks like traveling. It's that awkward cognitive dissonance that makes us perk up and say, "No way that was legal."

A lot of the travelling calls that are made...I don't see.

A lot of the travelling calls that I see....aren't made.


Shaq can drag his pivot foot, shuffle his feet etc. Guys (like Rip) catch a pass and the kind of shuffle their feet or hop as they set theirselves... no call.

...but then a guy makes a quick move that is hardly visible to the naked eye and they get called.

Right up there with palming, which after watching Nelson last night I realize I clearly don't understand.

The calls are as refs see or make them be it for traveling or palming or carry. There's a good example of the different baseball umpires. It's all about balls and strikes. One umpire says - some thrown pitches are balls and some are strikes. Another one says - they are nothing until I call them strikes or balls. And that's pretty much how it's been.

The Professor did something on this in the "Inquiring Pistons Fans want to know " thread. Fare warning you'll be more confused after you read it.
I think it has something to do with moving your feet before bouncing the rock. You walked..............

I've seen Kobe take five steps while carrying the ball, and airline tickets in the other hand, and no travelling call. Some guys just don't get the call.