NBA finally reveals if LaMelo Ball traveled on viral play originally appeared on Sports news. Add The Sporting News as Favorite source by clicking here.
The 2026-27 campaign for LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves started off with a bang after a dominant 131-106 defeat of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat in their season opener.
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Ball’s highly anticipated debut with the franchise went largely without a hitch, as his contributions and Edwards’ 45-point outburst sent Miami back to the drawing board.
However, the former’s questionable 21-point, 6-assist game of the evening stuck out like a sore thumb in the basketball world.
With the Miami game tied at 39 and 8:19 remaining in the second quarter, Ball took a noticeably long route to a three-pointer from the right wing that faded through the net, a shot that caught the attention of fans, media members and NBA referees on social media.
In response to a clip of the alleged trip shared by SportsCenter on
“For everyone asking, ‘how is this legal?’ This is not the case! He gathers with his right foot on the ground and would be allowed two steps according to the rule (left-right). He takes four steps after getting the ball and moves,” the story shared Thursday morning.
While Ball’s controversial play addresses a larger issue of the lack of correct movement decisions in the modern NBA, it also provides insight into how creative footwork trends have led to greater freedom of movement for offensive players than ever before.
The 2022 All-Star and former Charlotte Hornets floor general has played a role in this change over the past few years, as he possesses some of the most unpredictable handles and all-around, creative offensive playstyles in the league today, but he may have gone a little too far with his moves on opening night. Still, Minnesota might be willing to let a few of those mistakes slide once or twice a game if it leads to a similar result to its dominant opening night performance.
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