NBA players will be able to take two steps before they have to stop, pass or shoot this season.
The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step.
The new rule reads, in part: “A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.”
It is believed to be the first time any league, at any level anywhere in the world, has explicitly allowed two steps.
Sometimes I think the NBA is going out of its way to do all it can to ruin the game of basketball. Basketball was first created 118 years ago with a set of rules that have remained pretty consistent, with updates where appropriate (i.e. the three point line, three seconds in the lane, etc.). However, this isn’t a rule change that’s necessary or needed. In fact, considering that today’s basketball players are bigger and faster, can jump higher and get to the basket quicker, this rule actually flies in the face of advances in athleticism and sport.
As the standard bearer for the game of basketball, this not only sets a horrible new precedent for the most talented league in the world, it will inevitably effect the play of every league beneath. But hey, at least the rules actually reflect the refereeing this year!
