King James Fires Up the Waaambulance
The Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the NBA. The Wizards are one of the worst. But yesterday, the good guys won thanks in part to a late-game travel on LeBron James. What I hadn’t seen was his post-game whining:
“I took a ‘crab’ dribble, which is a hesitation dribble and then two steps,” James said. James believes he perfectly executed a jump stop on the play, but was still called for traveling. “It’s a play you don’t see much in the NBA,” he said. “You have your trademark plays, and that’s one of mine.”
It’s hard to see on the original, but the replay clearly shows that LeBron’s “crab” involves a traveling violation, whether or not that’s what he meant to do:
Kyle Gustafson notes “The Wizards are now 7-25 for the season, but 1-1 in 2009. We can build on this!” Yes we can.
45 Responses to “King James Fires Up the Waaambulance”
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January 5th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I don’t see how your discussion of traveling can be reconciled with this:
The Cavaliers are … in the NBA.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Wait, you can’t travel in the NBA? Is that a new rule?
January 5th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
It’s hard to see on the original, but the replay clearly shows that LeBron’s “crab” involves a traveling violation, whether or not that’s what he meant to do
But if that’s what he meant to do, and since he is a superstar, it is – by definition, not a travel. Cf. Ewing, Patrick.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Where does one watch these NBA games, assuming one were interested? I vaguely recall NBC used to air some games.
This is a sport sliding into irrelevancy. Back to your NFL posts, Yglesias.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Yeah I counted 4 steps there.
Also, why would you even try to center your posts?
January 5th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Senor Yglesias, that should read “won” not “one”.
Although I kinda like the phrase, “The Good Guys One”. It expresses a nice sense of solidarity.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
The clip reminds me of this classic oldie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jfF04Lb3M
“…there have been over 1500 cases of traveling…only seven of those were called.”
January 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I saw the replay 3 times which means I’ve completed a 12 step program.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Matt blogs so much he doesn’t even notice when he uses the word “one” when he obviously meant “won”.
Time for a vacation there big shooter. Leave now and be back in time for the big inauguration.
And Go Raptors. Undefeated in 2009.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Strange day yesterday, with Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando all losing to far inferior opponents… not sure what this means.
Boston fans must be getting worried though — they’re talking themselves into Marbury!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
The last wizards-cavs game from a few weeks ago, the wizards came pretty close to winning it – and they would of, if the game was only 47 minutes long.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
This is a sport sliding into irrelevancy.
I have been hearing various versions of this for about 20 years and the League has even often taken on the posture of needing to revitalize itself. Yet every time I check, NBA franchises are improving attendance and making more money than they did before. I suppose the fact that it very rarely appears on network television anymore except for special occasions and the end of the playoffs gives a certain impression of decline but really by most indicators, the NBA is doing fine.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I watched in real time and thought it was a travel. But then I thought, “he’s LeBron and there are 10 seconds left- they won’t call that!” And then I saw a whistle had been blown and immediately knew they called travelling. It’s a pretty obvious one step, staggered jump stop (1 + 2 = 3… uh, but I didn’t see 4 steps???). And I’m a Cavs fan.
As it happens, LeBron used to do the once-legal-for-whatever-reason jump stop (one step, stop on two feet, jump for the shot) back during his rookie season all the time but they’ve since made a big deal out of enforcing this.
And one other thing: LeBron really doesn’t get away with travelling that much. He really does have some moves to the basket that, combined with his peculiar duck-walk running motion and all the ground he covers with each stride, sometimes seem like travelling when they may not be. Though he does get away with it more than the median NBA player.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
By the way, note that Brent and brent are different people.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Man, if I have to sit through another conversation about how charming and charismatic Overrated crybaby Lebron James is, I will have to puke in Booby Gibson’s jock. If he weren’t so tightly scripted by Nike and Sprite, everybody would see Overrated Crybaby Lebron James for what he is: The most over-sensitive, humorless, and pompous NBA superstar since Kobe “bruised-ribs” Bryant entered the league. But worse than Kobe, Lebron has to call on Hova to defend him, since he can’t do it himself.
The above-referenced post-game whining by Overrated Crybaby Lebron James finally proves conclusively what a big dummy he is!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
By the way, note that Brent and brent are different people.
No relation
January 5th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I’m with ‘Bron on this one. Traveling thru the lane? That’s his move!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Oh, and also, I’m sick of seeing people fawn all over the pre-game chalk thing that he totally ripped off from KG!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
The most over-sensitive, humorless, and pompous NBA superstar since Kobe “bruised-ribs” Bryant entered the league.
I’m getting less worried about New York stealing LeBron away everyday!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
This big ol’ dumby cannot walk and dibble at the same time?
January 5th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Wade gets the foul every time somebody breathes on him, but people can do hockey-style checks on Lebron and they won’t call it. The occasional travel is minor compared to that. And as Brent said above, they are occasional…he *looks* like he travels more because he just eats up so much space with each stride. This is a guy who can dunk from the foul line with room to spare.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
“The Wizards are now 7-25 for the season, but 1-1 in 2009. We can build on this!” Yes we can.
Yeah, and the Timberwolves are 2-0 in 2009. No doubt when they face each other it’ll be a preview of next year’s championship game…
…but people can do hockey-style checks on Lebron and they won’t call it.
Waaah! The bad man touched me, blow the whistle!
What is this, soccer?
January 5th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
“Strange day yesterday, with Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando all losing to far inferior opponents… not sure what this means.”
And the Pistons won on Sunday for the first time this season….on a goal tending, against an inferior opponent.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
It’s a pretty indefensible travel, I’m a little disappointed to hear LeBron try and defend it. I can certain understand frustration, given how rarely it’s called, especially on the major stars, but that’s an extra 1-2 steps. And he’s still at least a step behind D-Wade, I’ve never seen any player travel that much, plus he gets more minor contact continuation fouls than any player, ever (even Jordan!!). Just search youtube for 2006 NBA finals and you’ll find a video encyclopedia, so bad I channel Bill Walton “WHooorrible officiating. Terrrrible call..”
January 5th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
The jump stop is legal in every league and is taught as proper technique by every basketball coach I’ve ever been coached by. But you have to land on both feet simultaneously. What’s funny is LeBron seems to think he executed a proper jump stop, as you can see by his discussion with the ref afterwards, but the in game play was a clear travel.
LeBron does often get away with travelling, though.
Here’s a clip from game 3 last year against the Wiz where he used the jump stop, then pivoted after that, which is a clear travel. I guess he only gets the calls during the playoffs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhbM6uuCt74
January 5th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Generally, NBA superstars like Mr. James don’t get called for traveling, unless it’s blatant. Just like superstars get the benefit of the slightest doubt on foul calls, particularly blocking/charging. How often did Michael Jordan get called for charging?
January 5th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Wasn’t Jordan the first to do the pre-game powder thing? His version probably wasn’t as intense as KG’s, though.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Basketball (especially the NBA) completely sucks. The rules are completely arbitrary, and all I need to know about a game can be seen in the last 3 minutes (or less).
I wish the NBA would just die.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
It occurs to me that I may have missed the sarcasm in LIJ’s post. The exclamation mark probably should have tipped me off.
(I maintain that the joke that I made in the last sentence of my comment is still kind of funny, and indeed I feel that its value to the discussion outweighs the detriment caused by the gaffe that I probably made in the first sentence.)
January 5th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thanks to jrc and joejoejoe for making my day a little brighter.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
What is this, soccer?
If only! You can get yellow-carded for diving in soccer, and there’s nothing like the ear-splitting whistling and jeering of a savvy crowd when someone tries this. Thanks to YouTube it should become a dying art form.
(Hockey also has a diving penalty. What’s it gonna take for basketball and football to get on board?)
January 5th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
The jump stop is legal in every league and is taught as proper technique by every basketball coach I’ve ever been coached by. But you have to land on both feet simultaneously. What’s funny is LeBron seems to think he executed a proper jump stop, as you can see by his discussion with the ref afterwards, but the in game play was a clear travel.
No, I think the jump stop is counted as two steps even if it is simultaneous, right? LeBron’s move wouldn’t have been legal if he took one step, than landed on both feet at the same time anyway. The problem is that he basically just took three steps.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
It looked to me like he took the one step, then took two more steps in the lane. If he’d landed on both feet simultaneously in the lane, then I think it would have been ok.
The youtube I linked before shows the jump stop, with LeBron pivoting afterwards, which is illegal. This time he just took 3 steps.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Patrick Ewing’s signature move was a 3-step lumber through the lane, preceded by a foot shuffle.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Holy shit, an NBA star actually got whistled for the now-legal-because-everyone-does-it-and-the-stars-bitch-about-it fullback move?
That’s great. Not to sound like a cranky old man, but the reason people have signature moves which aren’t, technically, legal, is that nobody fucking calls them on it.
And no, there’s absolutely *no* intended reference (/sarcasm) to the outgoing presidential administration’s practice of brazenly breaking the law, daring anyone to call them on it, and then proclaiming, “We were legal all along!”
No. No, you weren’t. And neither is LeBron James (nor Kobe Bryant, nor anyone else who does this; LeBron just has the most whiny defense of it).
January 6th, 2009 at 2:21 am
Note to Matt (or whoever holds the website admin keys):
There seems to be an unclosed CENTER tag in this post, probably associated with the embedded video; all posts below this one are shown with center justification, and some text at the RM is being clipped.
Just sayin’.
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