Handball rules in the NBA — five steps of Antetokounmpo

When the referees allowed LeBron James and Joel Embiid to score several times on obvious traveling violations in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, everyone was shaking their heads, wondering if it was even possible. But it is — even in the world’s top league, a player can be allowed a leisurely stroll through the paint with the ball under their arm. Traveling? Who cares…

A similar unbelievable moment happened last night in the Milwaukee vs. New York matchup. The Bucks won 121-111, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 37 points, but two of them came under a big shadow — he committed steps that would have been whistled even in handball. Yet in the NBA, sometimes referees turn a blind eye. Maybe it’s for the sake of artistry — it’s a beautiful basket, so why spoil it?

The Greek superstar took five steps holding the ball, eventually made the shot, and — nothing. Both Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford laughed in the studio, amazed that Antetokounmpo was allowed, as the video description put it, to “walk across the entire state of Wisconsin” without a traveling call.