NBA ref explains why the James Harden step-back jumper isn't traveling (2024)

FAQs

How is the James Harden stepback not a travel? ›

According to the section, "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." James Harden's step-back jumper includes a "gather step" that allows him to gather the ball, then take two steps.

The double stepback is legal when used with a zero step, also referred to as a gather step. More details from the NBA below, but a player may take two steps after gathering the dribble.

Okay, if you look at when the ball is gathered, that pivot foot is not the first step. That is the zero step. So, after that pivot foot, when they step back into a 1, 2, that in the NBA is a legal two-step.

Harden has found the loophole in the travel rule. Essentially when you gather to make a jump stop from a dribble you have no pivot foot. He is breaking up the jump stop or he is taking his two steps simultaneously with the dribble gather.

Security stopped him, and the 76ers front office as well as coach Nick Nurse told Harden — as previously discussed — they wanted him to stay in Philadelphia and work on his conditioning after 10 days away from the team, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

In the NBA and FIBA, when a player has taken more than two steps without the ball being dribbled, a traveling violation is called.

It is a travel, sometimes, Nunn told me, when he does “a double step-back.” But, most of the time, Harden's carefully calibrated move is legal. “Calling travel is about a dance,” Nunn said. “Once you understand the rhythm of it, you can determine whether it's legal or not.

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In the wake of a high-profile missed call that went against Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said officials are "absolutely held accountable" and disciplined for making such errors. "We don't publicize discipline for officials.

Do NBA players get fined for criticizing refs? ›

Criticizing officials typically comes with a fine of between $10,000 and $30,000 for players, though Gobert's teammate Anthony Edwards was fined $40,000 for blasting the refs in January. Gobert is lucky he didn't get suspended, given the severity of the insinuation.

Referees might not only show a bias towards the home team but also towards specific individual—star—players or specific teams, regardless of where the game is played (e.g., teams that are on the top of the standings).

“It shouldn't have been a point (of discussion) at all, period,” Harden said. “The moves that I do and I create are not travels or the referees who get paid a lot of money and are the best at what they do would call a travel. Any of my moves that I do on the perimeter have never been called for a travel.

That's legal in the NBA. FIBA, college, high school, middle school, elementary school, at all levels. When you take two steps, this is your pivot, this is your non pivot, and so you shoot by lifting up your pivot. Any move like a step through is legal.