From Tom Withers of The Associated Press:
James was driving for a potential tying basket when referee Bill Spooner called him for the traveling violation. James was stunned and so were many of the Wizards, who have complained in the past that James takes extra steps when he attacks the basket.
Spooner explained his call in an e-mail: “3 steps on the move to the basket. Basic travel call.”
An NBA spokesman said the league supports Spooner’s call.
The did-he-or-didn’t-he-walk debate has raged since the final horn, much to James’ amusement.
“Everything I do is a big deal,” James said, smiling. “It’s easy for people who don’t play the game of basketball to say something about a certain move. You hear all the people on SportsCenter talk about it, but they’ve never touched a basketball in their lives. They just report about it.”
James describes the crab dribble “as a hesitation dribble he uses to slow down the defense before he accelerates toward the rim.”
January 7th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
At first I loved that this happened – because I thought it would invoke discussion about NBA superstars and their “signature” moves which may or may not be travels. But most of the noise is coming from angry Washington fans and people that don’t like LeBron for whatever reason.
By the letter of the law, yes, LeBron traveled – and if the NBA takes away this move from him, much like they outlawed his jump stop in ‘04-’05 the world is not going to end…but as a Cavs fan, I have a serious problem with this.
Watching the Lakers/Hornets game yesterday, I saw Chris Paul carry the ball at least 5 times in ONE QUARTER! He does an inside-out dribble, and his hand winds up completely underneath the ball as he makes his move to get into the paint. His hesitation dribble requires that he pause the ball in mid-air with his hand under it as well. How about Dwyane Wade? I’ve written pieces on how his signature drive into the paint is a carry. He changes direction without ever planting off a foot – basically, he carries the ball from right to left across his body – he doesn’t cross over. By the letter of the law, it’s a carry.
I don’t have a problem with the NBA cracking down on traveling – my problem up to this point, has been whom they have targeted. Most travel victims are slow big men, who receive the ball too far away from the basket and try to make a move to get closer and get called for a walk. They just LOOK BAD making their move so they get whistled, while I honestly believe Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul would averaged 10 turnovers a game if they suddenly started calling carrying violations by the letter of the law. But those 3 guys are some of the best ball-handlers in the NBA, and their street-ball like shifty moves LOOK GOOD and they don’t get whistled.
Watching LeBron’s play, he took 2 full steps after he gathered the ball. However, the initial step occurred while the ball was on it’s way up to his hands as he brought the ball up over the top of the defense. It’s obviously a travel if you start counting steps after the last time the ball touches the hardwood. But it’s not a travel if you count the steps after he gathered – and that’s generally how NBA refs do it. If you’ve ever seen Nash or Paul’s hesitation dribble, they sometimes have happy feet while the ball is in the air and then put it back down. I’m not quite sure how this isn’t traveling, but again – it LOOKS good, so it never gets called.
The fact that they called traveling on the game’s “supposed” darling child at the end of close game really makes me hope they will start cracking down on point guards that carry all day long – but I somehow doubt it.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:29 am
you can quickly add tony parker into that carry category.
lebron shouldn’t get superstar calls until he plays in a superstar city.
clevleland doesn’t deserve to have the best basketball TEAM in the NBA so the media won’t write about it.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:30 am
hello hoffman,
i don’t know how things work around here, but i’d like to request that you write a piece on how well shaq has played this season.
he’s posting solid numbers. try to put your hatred for the man aside for a moment an give him some props.
he deserves it.