When it comes to fans complaining about players traveling, James Harden has been the center of that discussion the past couple of seasons. His step back/side step looks likes a travel (sometimes it is) but refs never call it because Harden has found a way to manipulate the rules.
Harden’s moves have even gotten the attention of kids. At a local Academy where Harden was giving away a pair of his shoes to 6 kids, one of the kids asked him about his step back move and why it never gets called a travel. Harden responds by saying it’s not a travel and
“It’s three referees there, they should see it. And it’s not travel. In the NBA especially a higher level of basketball you gotta find ways to get better every single year. You gotta find ways to create an advantage every single year. And that’s what I’m doing. It’s not a travel. This year I’m gonna come up with something more creative that’s gonna look like its travel but it’s not.”
Whether you think his move is a travel or not, it’s pretty impressive that Harden continues to find ways to manipulate the rules and create an advantage over everyone else.
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