Travelling

I've been thinking about this ever since last night's Cavs-Wizards game, and though we're discussing it to an extent in the comments of Mikey's "Cheers and Jeers", I'm so bothered by the topic that I want to dedicate a post exclusively to it. And Gutsy, I'm not picking on you personally - but I want to begin with a quote from your most recent comment:

"When you are an NBA-superstar you get 3 steps ... everyone else gets 2.5 steps."

When I was growing up, both at school and in the NBA, the general rule was 1.5 steps, and maybe your superstars got 2 or 2.5. We were taught that after we picked up our dribble, we had to jump off the second step - and that if we didn't, and either stopped or jumped off the third, that was travelling. On TV, we saw our stars do the same thing.

When, and why, did the NBA get so lax on travelling? If Jordan and Bird and Magic and Co. got to push the envelope as superstars, nevertheless they'd never have gotten away with what LeBron did last night. So there's no misunderstanding, please do not take this as an indictment of LeBron - obviously, if he can get away with it, he should try. He is not responsible for not whistling his own violation of the rules.

I find basketball to be a much better, more challenging game when the 1.5 step rule is enforced as it is (or was) written. I don't understand why the league would ease up, particularly considering the renaissance of talent right now. LeBron, Kobe, Wade, 'Melo, Nowitzki - they will excel under the old rule as they do under the new. It's time the NBA lead the basketball world in returning to a fundamental rule that makes the game a whole lot better.