Isn't the "Euro" step traveling?

[Yavin4]

[94Mountaineer]

1. Absolutely!!

It’s standard in the NBA but you won’t see it allowed in college or hs rules

[Anon-C]

2. I sincerely believe so. I really miss the more physical game and...

...athletic dominance of past NBA eras. They tried to speed it up and advantage spacing but at the cost of grace and improvisation.

[94Mountaineer]

3. They've completely taken defense out of the game

in favor of offense.
We’ll never see a team like the Bulls 72 win team that could score and shut down teams at will

[Anon-C]

4. Yep, no '04 Detroit Pistons team either.

[Yavin4]

5. It also creates a competitive imbalance.

Unless you have an elite player like Curry, Harden, Durant, or LeBron, you have no chance whatsoever.

[mythology]

10. Considering how much the refs let Jordan get away with

He traveled constantly and the defensive rules were changed to enable him to score more. The Bulls teams were what caused the nonsense that passed for professional basketball now.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Totally Incorrect

On both points. Did you actually watch the NBA in those days? Sure doesn't seem like it.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Yes. And I'm Not One Of Those. . .

. . .revisionists who "remember" when they called traveling. I've been watching the pros since "The NBA on CBS" on Sundays in the late 60's.

The NBA has not called traveling since i've been a fan UNLESS the extra step creates an advantage over the defender. A guy taking an extra step on a breakaway dunk is not creating an advantage and they have not called it traveling since i knew enough about basketball to know the difference. (Figure 6th grade, and i'm 61.)

Even the great Jerry West and his partner Gail Goodrich used to do a slide with the second foot to get both feet squarely under them before lifting for a jumper. So did Havlicek. And my hero Pete Maravich traveled about 6 times a game, but again, they only called it if it caused the defender to be at a disadvantage.

Now, they call obvious stuff like the one earlier this year where LeBron had the brain cramp and just started walking up the court with the ball. I think he was surveying the floor and forgot he had the ball or something. That didn't cause any advantage as nobody was within 15 feet of him, but you can't just take 3 steps forward without dribbling because you forgot, so the refs just had to call that. But, that's a rare circumstance. Guys like LeBron don't make mistakes like that very often, and neither do the other guys in the NBA, even those nowhere close to as good.

The Euro Step clearly creates that advantage, because the defender is completely guessing as to where the ball handler is headed. The guy could easily be moving right then pick up the dribble, step back to the left, and as fast as those guys are, the defender has little chance to do anything but foul.

They should call it traveling, not give it cute nickname.

[Yavin4]

7. Gnobli popularized it in the NBA.

My guess is that they wanted to give smaller players some leverage over larger players. This was the beginning of taking away the game from Big Men.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Think You're Right

Manu was the one who made it a thing.
Don't agree that that was the taking away the big man think.
Starting in the late 80's, Lakers, Pistons, and Bulls won 10 of 12 titles with: Divac, Lambeer, Cartwright, and Longleg at center.
That's 10 titles with guys who only played big on D. Rockets with Hakeem, but that was Hakeem!

I'll grant you the Spurs, but look who they had, and the shooter era was beginning.
Since then who won titles with a dominant big? Lakers first. The other 2, Kobe was the best and most important player on the team.
Heat with 2. Who was the center? Not that easy to recall, is it?
Lakers twice more with Gasol? No.
The big man dominating has been rare since before they changed the rules, Yav.

[caraher]

9. Did LeBron do that more than once?

He gets away with it here:

Here's a compilation of egregious offenses (by many players):

[JonLP24]

12. No, not according to the rules

You're allowed a 2-count rhythm when passing, catching, or shooting. Shaq did a hop step all the time back in the day.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I Like It, Jon

The NBA pace is so fast it's often to miss that pick of the dribble and that first step are essentially simultaneous
Then refs don't call a close travel if the step didn't create a clear advantage. Nobody wants the game slowed by refs calling violations that were non-impactful.
Now: I do think what Shaq did was traveling. But, then we have the star treatment thing !