James Harden Finally Caught - But Was It The Right Call?

Over the weekend, James Harden got called for a travel in the open court. Most felt vindicated, but was it really a travel by the letter of the law? Coach Nick and Devin Williams ( / officialshiftteamhq ) break down the Live Dribble and how it affects the traveling violation.
SUBSCRIBE HERE FOR MORE: bit.ly/BBallSub
MUSIC: Dark Tranquility by Anno Domini Beats
ABOUT BBALLBREAKDOWN
BBallBreakdown is devoted to deep-dive analysis of NBA basketball gameplay. If you're a coach or a player, check out the MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP - filled with an ever growing library of on court demos designed to help you improve your play and your coaching! Giving fans a taste of a pro coach's film session, host Coach Nick breaks down fundamentals, play calling, offense, defense, shooting form, officiating, and everything else basketball. In addition, see exclusive interviews with NBA players and coaches, from active super stars to retired legends.

[@zombieslayer2225]

"As long as the ball is in the air, you can take as many steps as you want."-Giannis Antetokounmpo

[@somerandomguy4130]

I Am you can't carry a ball if you stop dribbling it would be a gather

[@Zombie-jn6iu]

Lmao it's called when it's in the air and your not actually carrying it, it doesn't stop the dribble and count towards picking it up and he took the gather step into like a eurostep quit thinking about basketball like it's a bunch a 6th grade players playing if u call it a travel you don't know the rules lmao

[@jonathanbatista3781]

All Giannis needs is one step anyway

[@Zombie-jn6iu]

You dribble and while gathering the ball you get another step hence “gather” step

[@waldegg9171]

Or “as long as you DONT carry the ball on your hand or hold it with two hands ,u can take as many steps as you can” Me.

[@supaflylob]

If i do this in pickup at the gym theyd never let me play

[@MrVinogotti]

True lol

[@WillToNihilsm]

@@MrVinogotti Or in highschool, or college, or FIBA, or EUROleague.

[@ericthibodeau6821]

@@WillToNihilsm nope it works in fiba

[@bhr788]

There's a reason those people are playing pickup at the local YMCA, lol

[@clawer626]

That's just a reality of casual play. You need a pro ref, one that makes a living off it and not just someone who does it for fun, to even understand what exactly is happening.

[@seansuprem]

i think the main disagreement is in what is/should be considered a gather

[@WillToNihilsm]

He brought the ball into his body before taking the step. In my, and any rational humans, opinion, he took that dribble knowing he would gather it, yet somehow because he gathers with the opposite hand it doesn't count? Fuck off NBA that is the worst justification I have ever heard.

[@MuttonErase]

@@WillToNihilsm nah its in front of him but you cant tell from that angle. (otherwise yes it would be a travel) a similar thing happened with jeremy lin where from the tv camera angle it looked like he ended his dribble and then took 4 steps but he actually dribbled in between you just couldnt see it cuz it was blocked

[@WillToNihilsm]

@@eciohc75 what the fuck are you talking about?

[@jasoncall3731]

WillToNihilsm Until the right hand touched the ball, he could have legally continued the dribble. The gather must have occurred at that moment.

[@VArsovski10]

@@jasoncall3731 Yeah, like whirl the ball in his left hand for like 2.5 steps more THAT is what happened in one of the recent no-calls, dude took a very bad reception of a pass and was running with it whirling in his palm for 2-3 steps before FINALLY gathering it and making a 2 step jump layup lol

[@dr.christian8461]

"As long as both your feet are in the air, you can take as many steps as you want." -Jordan-

[@gwanime4929]

Lol, underrated comment

[@bobbyosborne2375]

MJ FOREVER GOAT

[@worthy1058]

~Jordan~

[@worthy1058]

-Jordan-

[@worthy1058]

**Jordan**

[@Chris-eo1bp]

man you could lose friends over this argument lmao.

[@Da_Real_llIusion]

IFKR * Cries *

[@Chris-eo1bp]

@@Da_Real_llIusion lmao its like you love em but when you breal that ankle boi. The savage anima element in people comes out quick

[@d-watshoustonsfinest7363]

lmao!!!! Bro...#Truestatement.

[@d-watshoustonsfinest7363]

@@adamjohnson4975 No. You just thought it was smart to psychoanalyse a sarcastic joke and had no idea how immature and stupid it would make you look.

[@Chris-eo1bp]

@@d-watshoustonsfinest7363 lol he did

[@haonanzhang6759]

Harden's rhythm control is on another level, way above the refs at least.

[@jamarjones3816]

Clarkson Zhang I mean I could understand if the refs get travel calls wrong cuz I don’t think I would know if that’s a travel or not with out that slow motion camera

[@jordancromwell]

No travel called on HarChoke its frustrating

[@jamarjones3816]

Wait so if I only have one hand on the ball it’s not a travel till I put my other hand on the ball so What about one handed euro steps this is confusing And what about the palming the ball and making look like your about to dribble again but instead going to the rack

[@haonanzhang6759]

@@jamarjones3816 Yeah me too. Refs need to adapt to harden's pace and get used to it.

[@oakinw8361]

@T0PSECRET You cant carry when you're running with the ball.

[@toxicmelody6228]

In the hood they'll just say "This isn't the NBA/2k"

[@be4unvme]

lol i called a travel on a black guy once, he threaten my life

[@Rangelong]

Ain’t no more hood basketball. No one hoops outside anymore.

[@jamarjones3816]

Luis Capellan not funny

[@unknownknowns11years]

Jason Cross u must not be a hooper then😂 everyone hoops anywhere

[@drewelric118]

@@jamarjones3816 Its probably not a joke

[@Grimothey]

Man ik James harden gets a lot of hate but sometimes u gotta just sit back and appreciate his creativity

[@11dubs30]

Poor Harden. Poor, poor li'tle 'Arden.

[@WillToNihilsm]

Maybe if he actually could get a ring people wouldn't clown his sorry ass.

[@ericthibodeau6821]

@@WillToNihilsm maybe if his team was good they would win

[@comppp7612]

WillToNihilsm stfu lmaooo ur nerd ass prob don’t even know how to play basketball irl or rules

[@dwarfings]

WillToNihilsm shut the fuck up you look like a nerd. “How to win online arguments” headass

[@unaialday3902]

I love how players are analyzing and finding “holes” in the rule book (specially harden) to maximize advantages

[@zzig4447]

Unai Alday almost all pros in any kind of sports do this, hell even pros on esports games looks for bugs in game and take advantage of it lol

[@unaialday3902]

Zzig yep, but we’re in the peak b-ball wise, and I still love it

[@SupremeSupport]

It's not exactly a "hole" just a better understanding of the rule book. That's why other nba stars try to replicate it, they just haven't practiced it nearly enough. If you understand the rules better and can effectively use them to your advantage, that's how the game is supposed to be played.

[@joshsimi8680]

More like professionals not even knowing the rules. Sad

[@DragonDyce]

u must admit that move harden did on 3 defenders with literally no time to think by throwing the ball out farther ahead of him is just amazing in my opinion if it is actually legal

[@askew1468]

They’d just hit me with the “this ain’t the NBA you harden wannabe” in pickups

[@MrDumesday]

Yeah. The same people in pickup games that would call this traveling are the ones that would get mad when someone calls foul lol.

[@augustgreig9420]

I was doing this 23 years ago, and every now and then, some people would get really mad when I kept beating them with the move. Basically, I learned from practicing Tai Chi that slow can beat fast, so where most people would just try to take their two steps and get to the rim, I'd take mine slower with a change of direction and shot fake during my two steps, which is completely legal. But some people would swear it wasn't. These are the same type of people who think en passant is illegal in chess.

[@flonkas]

@@augustgreig9420 the downside is you gotta do that ugly ass move in public

[@tsujimasen]

0 step once he has two hands on the ball, then 1 and 2. Looks wonky, seems legit when you slow it down. James Harden is the only player that makes 2 legit steps look like 10 illegal steps.

[@Spoondota]

tsujimasen that my friend is called foot work

[@etm3398]

yah it takes two hands to gather. one hand palming the ball is not a gather. so, that step after his left hand started holding the ball is a zero step.

[@mpetkovic26]

@@etm3398 But it is check the rules if you palm the ball and continue dribble it's carrying violation, palming the ball counts as putting ball to rest

[@MuttonErase]

@Albert C the way he does it he could technically still dribble after the first "step back", but like in the video its only legal because of when he ends his dribble. Sometimes he messes it up tho.

[@hoanghale2671]

Yes totally agree. His double stepback is him trying to do palm the ball on the side for a split second while moving both his feet. Extremely hard to do and easy to mess up

[@PullThatUpJamie]

It’s crazy how little people know about this game of basketball. IG comment section refs are a disease

[@noahamankwaah9802]

IG comment section in general

[@mrmaker92]

YungJ well said

[@WillToNihilsm]

Funny how you don't know what you are talking about. In any other league, any other player, that is a travel

[@WillToNihilsm]

Really? Because the rule is vague, misinterpret able, and fucking rock stupid.

[@keyton1928]

WillToNihilsm hey we found a dummy dumb. We are talking about the nba here. So those other leagues don’t matter at all. Get lost and stop being stupid. That was the dumbest crap I’ve read in a long time.

[@jglitchy5577]

Can’t believe how hard people try to downplay this mans game it’s unbelievable 😂

[@claypro5046]

Haters

[@Janinho897]

are you honestly saying this after this play? James Harden has a habit of playing unbasketball-ish ... that's what people don't like about him. and this shit here is an example of that. if this video should be anything to you, than it should be an evidence on which you go: "oh yeah, i see how people don't like this dude's style."

[@ninja3902]

@@Janinho897 what do you mean? isnt this a legal play

[@jordancromwell]

Game? You mean traveling, flooping, and choking? Nobody's downplaying that my dude 😂

[@jordancromwell]

@@Janinho897 Yep

[@johnieljudahcenabre6556]

So if I play with one hand it’s almost impossible for me to travel.

[@brandonsmith9815]

Brilliant

[@Caleb-ww2wl]

So long as your hand never goes under the ball

[@johnieljudahcenabre6556]

Caleb ya i thought so, if you have big hands, you can palm the ball.

[@adamfearon7296]

If you palm the ball the it can be called as a travel

[@Trllz]

@@adamfearon7296 then either lick your fingers to make it sticky and hold the ball or shove your fingers into the ball.

[@toad7395]

Damn didnt know harden had this much dedication to pushing the boundaries of what travel is

[@itsrtvbaby]

😂

[@itsrtvbaby]

@Yahudrick R Raj-Indra that's why he said pushing the boundaries. It means he's super close to traveling but he's still not actually doing it

[@lynnstewart1981]

Or what it isn’t according to the rule. Don’t hate.

[@MrE_]

The ref's mic is a bit scratchy

[@bballbreakdown]

I’m throwing out my wireless mics and getting new ones 🤦‍♀️

[@idkwhoiam3676]

@@bballbreakdown which one do u have?

[@willhooke]

@@bballbreakdown Ref was a little scratchy in another vid as well. Yet Dev wasn't. Thank you for updating your gear - makes it better👍

[@ShamGam3]

Because of hiw whistle maybe

[@kobeplays798]

Yah i thought it was just me 😂

[@Shiftteamhq]

You guys are going to hate this but lol.....the nba just came out and said they made the wrong call and that harden DIDNT TRAVEL!! ...don’t hate me I’m just the messenger

[@bballbreakdown]

😳🏀👍🤣😇🏀

[@Ryan-yu5kt]

Where did they do this? On Twitter?

[@Shiftteamhq]

YeetGod McNeckAss yes

[@nelAjamZ]

It looks like travelling...

[@onlyfacts3178]

its still travel..the NBA also said that someone making 4 steps wasnt travel...

[@uonmist]

James Harden rlly be finessing the system 😂

[@malachimackay7081]

You show it in slow motion, but he drags his foot on the ground as he is taking his last step. Would this not make it a travel?

[@sithlordsf]

That's what I see, actually dragging his pivot foot

[@reviewsandprojects]

Yep agreed. Pivot foot drag.

[@SpicyOliv]

I asked the same thing. I wonder if that's why the guy from behind makes the call, because he can see the pivot foot drag? Still no response, and it just leaves me holding this bag of confusion.

[@tking9k988]

If you are going up for a shot or layup the pivot foot is aloud to move or be dragged, it can’t be moved or dragged to get better position if it is already planted.

[@SpicyOliv]

@@tking9k988 I actually tagged him on Twitter and he and Nunn gave a good answer that was helpful. If I recall, it was that on the layup you're allowed to drag it. Can't remember the exact wording. On a shot, I don't think so, I recall Lowry getting called for it a few games ago when he shuffled a pivot foot, but he wasn't moving forward like that.

[@KingWayne714]

this brings me back to HS BBall practice, a drill where we had to get from one end of the court to the other in 3 dribbles. It almost felt like a trick until we learned its about maximizing your steps and covering ground in as few dribbles as possible.

[@seanmike95]

KingWayne714 you mean two dribbles

[@davegamesgames42]

sean williams he could have done a different drill than you

[@ZxChrono]

sean williams Naw it’s 3.

[@rs660alec]

Watching this in slow motion is magical, Harden is so good he’s honestly broken the new NBA on an Individual level. He’s abuses everything these new rules allow and I love it.

[@IYPITWL]

alec polk new rules are for clarity, not changing the game.

[@rs660alec]

IYPITWL umm what? Hand Checking, International fouls?? New rules create a less physical game for the defense to pressure offense with. The defenders literally used to be able to push on the ball handler with their hands the whole time. Look up hand checking because you were definitely born after 2000. Today you can’t even stand too close to someone taking a jumpshot 😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@jamarjones3816]

There’s only 13 rules what new rules lol

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

what new rules??

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

@@rs660alec hand checking was made illegal in 1979, were you alive then dumbass? Illegal defense was what changed in 99 after Jordan retired...they waited to change it because Jordan abused the fuck out of illegal defense and they didn't want Jordan to change his game. Offensive scoring rates all plummeted after they got rid of illegal defense because they could finally do proper help defense and play zone when necessary. So you're very very wrong, today defenses are tougher than they were in the 90s and they actually play more physical. The "Jordan Rules" that the badboys used is how a player like Harden gets guarded every single possession, which is why he does all this extra stuff to out maneuver the defense

[@douglasquaid1711]

The thing is, when you say "His right foot is on the ground" @2:55 he's actually sneaking a 3rd step in by having his foot in the air as he "gathers". This stuff was never allowed back in the day, today it's ok.

[@personsrule9857]

Douglas Quaid ok boomer

[@LtBrown1956]

doug the problem with this crap is it makes the game more of an exhibition than a game with equal rules for equal chance of winning ....globetrotters are fun to watch but it is NOT a basketball game!!!

[@sandman1133]

@@LtBrown1956 nobody is excluding other players from practicing this.

[@LtBrown1956]

@@sandman1133 you cant possibly asserting that all players are officiated the same???

[@sandman1133]

@@LtBrown1956 first you say rules now it's officiating. Is it a new thing that star players get preferential treatment? Did Harden start that trend too?

[@justincolon5628]

There's gonna be a lot of fights on the blacktop over this.

[@Jendacake]

Imagine tryna explain this at the local gym😂.

[@zvanover11]

The problem is that every referee before college level will call that a travel and so you are taught against doing that at elementary and high school levels. So people get mad. So high school refs have it wrong? Or do the rules actually change?

[@TheHaas123]

zvanover11 high school refs dont have the training to notice it. It LOOKS wrong but when you look into it, it’s legit.

[@i077]

Yes, if a high school ref calls this a travel he's wrong, simple as that. The gathering step is not the first step, is the step before the first step. Ask any ref or any coach, they will tell you the same thing.

[@djLagwayEnjoyer]

i077 I’m actually a licensed high school ref. At least in Ohio, their is no gather step rule. Also, you are taught if something looks wrong, call it, because if you don’t, you’re most likely going to cause hostility between you and the opposing coach/crowd

[@AnemosFPV]

zvanover11 no, college, high school and euro has is right. NBA is just flash and show they don’t care about basketball it’s just about filling up the seats with people. That’s why they never call travel on a dunk while they do it in Europe

[@thebiggestgamer]

@@AnemosFPV How is the NBA wrong?

[@neoxsupreme]

I'm glad he clarified this. I also thought that it was a bogus call watching the replay during the game.

[@ZachVanHarrisJR]

*just give James Harden a passport already* 🤣 ✈️

[@arisbendanillo1425]

:) to finals!!:)

[@devanshudwivedi5875]

WOW!!!!!!!! SO FUNNY!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOL!!!ROFL!!!!. dickhead

[@jekkt]

10:10 look at his first dribble. i always wonder how players get away with this? they put their hand under the ball and then continue the dribble. this is the technique giannis uses to go halfcourt with 1 dribble. it's a carry

[@oseiaschiquellajunior8356]

Side of the ball not under

[@Golf-eb1xb]

Cause this fucking instagram nba shit is bs

[@khanman8113]

See, the rules may say it’s legal. But if I tried this in a high school game or if a college player tried it, it would probably be called by the refs

[@Ryan-yu5kt]

Because those refs are the same people on twitter that have a preconceived notion of what a travel is, eventhough theyre wrong

[@WillToNihilsm]

@@Ryan-yu5kt NBA refs are paid off

[@Ryan-yu5kt]

@@WillToNihilsm AKA "They dont call what i think should be called so theyre paid off"

[@jjlagoutaris518]

@@Ryan-yu5kt I mean, in the defense of those refs, most leagues use their own rules, not those of the NBA, so it would be a travel in those leagues.

[@WillToNihilsm]

@@Ryan-yu5kt Tim donaghey

[@airplaneoverthesemen]

your explanation makes sense when officials take a "step 0" into account even if it hurts my European and FIBA-ruled soul

[@Ryan-yu5kt]

Fiba has the exact same rule

[@Manouel21]

yes two years since it was written down but refs are slow to catch up (not sayin that's easy )

[@airplaneoverthesemen]

@@Ryan-yu5kt it's being enforced almost exclusively when it comes to receiving the ball and starting your dribble tbqh

[@WillToNihilsm]

This foul would get called in any other league. The nba is just trying to make its superstars look better when they cant win a title.

[@1vaultdweller]

YOUR SOUL IS DEAD

[@lukejackson9250]

Still feel like you guys missed the most confounding situation: Whilst my hand is on top of the ball and the dribble is live, I take many stutter steps and then without a dribble I gather the ball and then take my 0, 1 and 2 step. Travel? In my eyes this is the situation that seems to break the game of basketball. I hope I’m explaining this clearly.

[@dejuanma2367]

But the fact that you take many stutter steps doesn’t mean you have no dribble after, you can keep dribbling meanwhile you don’t catch the ball with two hands or put your hand behind the ball, in that moment you lose the dribble. So if you throw the ball in front like harden did and make a first step (0 step) and at the end or while you are doing it you catch the ball with two hands, that is still considered like a step or mid step on the dribble, and then you have your two steps off the dribble to do.

[@arich151]

Luke Jackson this is exactly what I’m saying

[@SuperSwag900]

Yea you did.... answer is it doesnt matter cuz of the first demo they showed. If he had his hand on top of the ball and did all the baby steps no travel. Also he throws the ball ahead (remember the ref says its still your possession even if its ahead of you) and takes a bunch of steps THEN gathers the ball and takes 2 steps all legal. Hand on the ball doesnt matter its when you end your dribble in between you can do whatever, hop, skip,jump,10000 steps, etc.... hope i explained that well

[@Devastish]

I think i know what you mean, and it gets me too. When your hand is on top of the ball, you have the option to dribble or grab it. When a player hesitates and then continues to dribble, it looks fine, he's just dribbling. But when they hesitate and then end the dribble, it just looks wrong. When I'm looking at Harden or Giannis doing a Euro-step, intellectually I know that the player has not yet made a decision to pick the ball up when the hand is on top, but if they do make that choice, it looks like they intended to pick it up from the beginning, and so it appears to be a travel. I think this is because the player has the OPTION to dribble or pick up, and until he makes the choice by putting a hand under the ball or grabbing it with two hands, the refs can't tell what he's going to do, so the ball stays live. The timing of the decision after taking a few steps is what trips me up.

[@jasoncall3731]

But *how many* stutter steps can you humanly take during that last dribble, even if it's a crazy looking high dribble? And what will eight stutter steps do for you?

[@laufal]

This 2-step rule would be much more simple if it said: AFTER the final touch of the ball, you can only make 2 steps (whether you control it or not)

[@fenixchief7]

That's also not the rule so not sure what you want

[@brady4133]

@@fenixchief7 "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of adribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball." Looks like a rule to me...

[@fenixchief7]

@@brady4133 thats not what he said so I'm not sure what you think you're proving. The nba allows a gather step before the two steps. It's not hard to figure out

[@brady4133]

@@fenixchief7 you said it wasnt a rule but I just copied and pasted the rule for you

[@fenixchief7]

@@brady4133 you can't comprehend that what you copy and pasted is not what the person I was replying to said?

[@dr.mukarramkhan9605]

Coach: Invented the game in yale James naismith rolling in his canadian grave

[@Da_Real_llIusion]

I guess what he said was that dribbling was invented in Yale

[@dr.mukarramkhan9605]

@@Da_Real_llIusion ill have to fact check that. Thanks!

[@so_dak-atheist]

@@dr.mukarramkhan9605 I see it's been a month since you commented but if your still interested in fact checking this here is a link to a great source. Look under the years 1897, 1898, and 1903 for the info on dribbling. digital-archives.ccny.cuny.edu/exhibits/holman/timeline.html

[@alessandroludovicostresa860]

4:40 "Let's talk about live dribble" First three dribble puts the hand under the ball. GOAT

[@alessandroludovicostresa860]

@@xenocloud00 i been hooping til i left two knees on the ground.

[@alessandroludovicostresa860]

@@xenocloud00 2 acl.surgery operations!

[@KastOut88]

I need to show some people this video. I literally have to tone down my euro step just avoid any speculation. Thanks for this video lol

[@slime6all484]

Only a travel because he dragged his feet. Only true hoopers know

[@johnellizz]

When I wuz yung they kept it so simple: Just don't travel. If you did anything that even looked like a travel you would get whistled. Now it's the opposite...you can travel all the time unless it's incredibly obvious.

[@mrmaker92]

Not a travel 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@jordancromwell]

Other time HarChoke does

[@jordancromwell]

@@jabless4173 Triggered I insulted your overrated choker?😳

[@TheBigKiwi]

Glad you broke this down Coach Nick. Admittedly I thought this was a travel at first. But maybe that’s just me being bias

[@WillToNihilsm]

It is a travel.

[@The1housepett]

Bro he drags the so called pivot foot

[@MuttonErase]

technically should be called a travel but if they started calling, so many dunks would be called as travels

[@amwot6699]

I see it bro

[@DannyFrio]

“there’s nothing in the rule book that discusses how many steps you can take in between dribbles” the first step after you put two hands on the ball after picking up your dribble counts as your first step point blank period

[@idowatiwant9]

after you put two hands on the ball would no longer be between dribbles dipshit

[@DannyFrio]

idowatiwant9 you misinterpreted my statement

[@janschropfer439]

well it is before you put two hands on the ball OR "gather ball" (you get into hand motion which makes dribble impossible with next motion with that hand)

[@uojk1]

idowatiwant9 he’s agreeing with you G

[@yeerboi]

Coach! The left foot drags after the first step making it a travel. Regardless how technical of a travel. It is still a travel!

[@bballbreakdown]

That’s actually not a travel. There is no rule against dragging foot like this while going up for a layup

[@yeerboi]

@@bballbreakdown You are grounding your pivot foot? How is it not a travel? Isn't the rule, once your pivot foot is lifted it must not make contact with the ground? Its the same with the shuffle if you do the 1 foot shuffle of your pivot foot that is a travel? I will say in general what you are showing i 100% agree with. The gather plus 1 2 is from what i see is clear.

[@dennisthemenace855]

@@bballbreakdown coach I don't think you looking into this deep enough go look back in history YOU WAS NEVER ALLOWED to drag your foot

[@kaibiganyt1887]

You is not allowed to drag your foot but theres nothing that says you cant do it while having a layup because a pivot is the anchor lmao he kept going :3 and nba players like james harden are good in finding holes in the book

[@mitriul1692]

every one will say its a travel if I tried it on my court

[@Jonathan-rf5cp]

They would be wrong

[@MFBOOM100]

Fuck your court theyre idiots. Harden is the truth.

[@kingidiot4983]

He literally gathers the ball against his stomach, then he waits for someone to reach for the ball before protecting it with his right hand.

[@alpkulaksizoglu3230]

First clip I kind of see how some people can argue that it is not a travel, but second clip is outright a travel. The angle doesn't show it all that well, but Harden takes 3 steps after he squeezes the ball between his hand and his body, which implies he has full control of the ball.

[@LeighMacArthur]

Thanks for breaking it down step by step and frame by frame. It makes sense and it does look legal now, with 1 small exception. I get the "0 step (gather)" and it makes total sense making that second step @2:42 the pivot allowing that next step to take the shot. To my eyes, it looks like he is dragging the toe on his pivot. (You can see how his toe snaps out from the floor at 2:48/49) My understanding is that had he raised his pivot to make that second step it's totally legal as you've explained, but (and correct me if I'm wrong) dragging the pivot is still a travel. Looking at the other examples, he is lifting his pivot clear off the floor. So I think that in this example that's why it was called and the others weren't.

[@louiswilliams984]

Leigh MacArthur Devin didn’t travel. Harden did. Everything Devin did had a “1,2” rhythm... can’t say the same for Giannis and Harden.

[@LeighMacArthur]

@@louiswilliams984 Not quite sure what you're replying to. I didn't mention Devin at all. I was talking about Harden dragging his pivot foot in the Heat clip but not in the Hornets clip. Rhythm has nothing to do with it. If a player keeps a rhythm it's going to be much easier to defend. I would wager a guess that it's because players today aren't going up in a rhythm is a main reason why many people think it's a travel. Back in the day there was a rhythm.

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

it's not considered a pivot foot tho because he's stepping with his next foot before taking the shot

[@LeighMacArthur]

Super Mega Foxy Awesome Hot What makes you say that? What would you consider to be the pivot foot then? When you pick up your dribble, 1 foot has to be the pivot, which is the first foot to touch the ground after picking up the ball. That’s the point of a jump stop, so the player can choose which one to use because both feet hit at the same time. The fact that he takes off on the next step is textbook example of a clear pivot foot, which he dragged in the Miami clip.

[@GabrielJames-ti3jf]

how did this college ref miss arm days when building that chest?

[@MajorKrafter]

that's 3...nobody starts counting at zero

[@MuttonErase]

Most of the time that "zero step" is behind players body when they pick up their dribble. (so it doesnt really do anything) On this move harden picked up his dribble while his "gather/zero step" was still in front him which is why it looks weird. In the video they talk about his right foot being the "zero step" but thats only the case because it was on the ground when he officially ended his dribble. If he had ended his dribble before that right foot touched the ground then that would be his first step and yes itd be a travel.

[@socksonfeet8125]

The 3 step looking move is what Harden was talking about in the offseason, he's been practicing it to make sure his "zero" step is there, thats why you can clearly see his hand and foot are in sync before he takes the two steps. He said there would be controversy because it would look like a travel and there already is after one game haha, this man is single handedly pushing the boundary of the rules and making the nba adjust hahaha

[@jvostudio]

As much as i hate harden, watching harden in slo-mo is oddly satisfying

[@pinoyreformat]

Why bballbreakdown goes out of its way to explain Harden travels

[@markbyrd7710]

Yeah.. None of the examples they gave in the gym looked anything like harden and Giannis travels..

[@markbyrd7710]

@Tee Snacks that's what I'm saying

[@32poppasavage28]

If hand checking was still legal this would not be a topic.

[@Nifava]

This.

[@atomaalatonal]

the slow motion isnt slow enough. i always slow down in youtube like mad t get the EXACT moment the ball left the hand. this time its GOOD slow motion ;D. so the trick is to watch when he got the ball back in his hands just the moment before he starts to make the last TWO steps. and the third step is just IN exactly the moment between the ball on the floor and the ball in his hand?

[@ivanchan5839]

refs don't get slow motion, it's just a matter of knowing which steps are the 1-2 steps

[@taj5062]

Man these are the kinda moves that start fights in a street game

[@papacinoooo]

bruh, fuckin real. still remember this dumb dude almost threw a punch at me.

[@DragonDyce]

u must admit that move harden did on 3 defenders with literally no time to think by throwing the ball out farther ahead of him is just amazing in my opinion if it is actually legal

[@zomat7955]

Love this video. Perfect explanation. Harden times this down to the nano second. I just think you can't be mad if the ref misses this by a nano second. (And of course, the players' timing isn't always perfect either.)

[@amplitudehertz17]

But again, what’s so bogus about this call isn’t the call itself, but the fact that it was called by the ref who is behind harden and had NO vision at all about when Harden gathered.

[@powerfusev2]

In this case it looks like his left foot may have dragged on the court, which would be a travel. Maybe that’s what the ref saw?

[@michaelcherni2856]

That's just one of the two clearly illegal things he did on that drive. But, yes, he absolutely draaaaged his foot across the floor. Next, give Harden a leash and let him start a dog-walking service.

[@stolensentience]

Wtffff he isn’t dragging either foot AT ALL how are people this dense

[@powerfusev2]

michael scoggins look at 2:45, his left toe looks very close to the ground. Close enough that the ref may have thought it touched. hOw ArE pEoPlE tHiS dEnSe???

[@stolensentience]

CPH omfg I think I understand now. Y’all saying it dragged on the ground DURING THE STEP. That is STILL a STEP. Doesn’t matter if it dragged during, it is still just a single step. HoW aRe PeOpLe ThIs DeNsE

[@powerfusev2]

michael scoggins his left foot cannot touch the floor or else it is a travel. I don’t know how else I can explain this

[@MagCynic]

All of this is irrelevant since he carries the ball at 1:42 anyways.

[@weakneerose7614]

Uh not really.. the ball was not set (still in upward motion) when he was touching the ball and he tip it with is fingers. This is very common dribbling moves that any good guards are using nowadays (Kyrie, Kemba, Curry and etc.) if official start calling travel like this every time they gonna fool them self in the end like this footage where pro basketball player abuse the rule by micro seconds.

[@MagCynic]

@Weaknee Rose Perhaps, but I DO see far too many examples of professional basketball players getting their hands a little bit too far underneath the ball even during a proper dribble.

[@onyo6498]

@@MagCynic every nba player does that...

[@MagCynic]

@@onyo6498 Doesn't make it right.

[@onyo6498]

@@MagCynic ik just saying thats not a travel nowadays

[@Kion0]

Thank you for breaking it down to all these social media refs

[@julioviloria3289]

He touched the ball with his left hand BEFORE his right foot landed so that counts as a step and he took three. Harden also travels when he takes three steps on a "stepback" jumper sometimes. He hides it so well by keeping his legs wide while skipping his toes multiple times so it looks like one step but it was three steps back.

[@Sifuthc]

I'm calling travel every single time...Every single time!

[@captaintang1]

it look weird but if u break it down in slow mo it is legal. But that gather step in real time really does looked close to a travel,

[@richardmiller5344]

11:05 carry

[@nanii7782]

richard miller 🤣🤣🤣???

[@joshuagiddey8832]

How Tf is that a carry

[@amirruffin8219]

He went from the three point line to the basket that take more than two steps

[@rockstarcere]

He still had his dribble until he put 2 hands on the ball

[@satrnjb9913]

I played in that gym in high school. We visited them and got absolutely destroyed. Great team and coaching staff

[@the_stewbear]

Gather step= excuse to take 3 steps... Defenders can't guard it because they're used to defending legal ball handling

[@MuttonErase]

I dont think you understand. The gather step is the foot that you ALREADY have on the ground when youve picked up the ball. Harden just does it when the foot is in front of him rather than behind him, which is more dangerous because if he ends his dribble too soon it (the step the they called his gather step) counts as his first step. This is also the basis for hardens step back.

[@the_stewbear]

NBA style no I completely understand it. But it’s something that used to be called but not anymore for the sake of higher scoring games. Players can now take 20 steps with their hands slightly under the ball. Basketball is difficult enough to defend as it is, but now the rules are constantly bending more in favor of the offensive player and it’s going to kill the game’s fan base.

[@laurelkuyon2556]

Amazing footwork

[@Jackie_Fhan]

if we all can travel we are all better like james? lol

[@may4th477]

It’s a palming foul before he gets into all that

[@EyelVlogs]

People hating on Harden's creativity. Yeah that's life.

[@BGSala]

people talk about how Steph Curry changed the game but they overlooked the fact that James Harden Also changed the game with his rule bending style.

[@kilinrose]

"Zero step" is stupid and make this so complicated

[@maherelzaher]

kilinrose thank you. It’s a step. So 1 2 3 steps. No fucking zero step

[@rustywind9602]

Complicated? How?

[@paulranalli3367]

Used to always be 2 ½ steps allowed for a layup or dunk. Now they are classifying that ½ step as the gather. No change.

[@christinecho779]

Still don’t quite get it.. but newfound respect for the refs who catch these nuances live. 🤤

[@markdelgado2406]

Yeah honestly don’t get the gather step. Because he dribbles with the right, he can only initiate his pivot foot with his right? I thought it was when you picked up the ball. But idk🤷‍♂️

[@BmacSoundsLab]

YouDontNeed ToKnow so basically the Gather step is the steps you take before you have the hand under the ball or both hands on the ball. Right then, that’s when they count the 1 - 2 step for the Travel

[@dDddddddddddddhhh]

The demonstration was poor to be honest. He wasn’t using the father step at all in the same way Harden does. If you pause video when he should use a father step, he only takes one more step afterwards. I guess he plays the same we all do and couldn’t do it in this demonstration.

[@marven500able]

I’ve been playing ball wrong the whole time 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@tgraha21]

We learned from coaches who didn’t exploit or understand live dribbling. It took manu, harden, and Giannis to show the manipulation of rules

[@simplytranquility5944]

Thinking u can only take too steps while u have a live dribble is extremely limiting. You basically can only do generic moves then.

[@isaiahhudsonse2730]

I was a the game courte side and this info is definitely not wrong I’m a huge rockets fan and that is James hardens 2 fav mive

[@SupremeSupport]

Harden definitely has a much broader understanding of the gather technique than a vast majority of the rest of the nba and he has almost perfected it, but it's pretty damn close to perfection.

[@michaelryan4282]

This one looks less of a travel then some of his others (i.e. his step backs)

[@yousjiveturkey]

Only to a casual who doesn't understand the game...

[@michaelryan4282]

I mean Steph literally copied his “double step back” and it was rightfully called a travel. So he clearly has a different set of rules (including being able to kick out his legs on 3s which should be an offensive) But I will say he definitely doesn’t travel on drives anymore which is good

[@yousjiveturkey]

@@michaelryan4282 once again showing you're just a casual... Harden only did that move once and everyone agrees it was a travel. Time for ppl like you to stop talking about it like he always does that. It's been proven time and again that his stepback is not a travel, so maybe focus your hater energy in a different direction bc it's getting pathetic.

[@jlardz1235]

@@yousjiveturkey Exactly, people keep bringing that double step back up like he does it 5 times a game or something.

[@supermanXL]

yes it a travel. the last time he dribble was at the 3 point line. he goes from the 3 point line to rim on one dribble

[@MuttonErase]

Did you even watch the video

[@supermanXL]

@@MuttonErase i hate that they allow the euro step so now guys can go from the 3 point line to the rim off one dribble. He took 3 steps to get a layup.

[@Meteo_sauce]

Left foot didnt drag for all those that say it did. 2:42

[@michaelwebb5665]

Not a travel. The ref in the back wasnt suppose to call it..thanks for the video. I have to explain this to so many older guys they dont understand.

[@kingsoindabuildin8036]

The rules should be the same everywhere so there’s no confusion

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

they are...

[@davidelsea1296]

They are this is higher ups throwing bullshit out there to try and convince and change everyones minds, to validate they are allowing players to perform illegal moves.

[@Qred09]

They arent the same everywhere. Court sizes arent even the same every where.

[@redtiger4352]

No gather step is only legal in America and NBA

[@larrymarshall9593]

Baby Purn false.

[@ryantaylor2342]

He drug his left foot look closely that’s a travel

[@austingiehl7217]

yeah he dragged it not a travel if he PLANTED his foot on the floor then its a travel

[@austingiehl7217]

plus its to close to tell doesnt look like he dragged it when in full speed even in slow motion its hard to tell if his foot hit the ground

[@franciscoarienza9655]

michael fuerte must be on drugs😉

[@mostflip4856]

Music is fitting. Interesting video

[@RetroJaysFTW]

+1 lol I love the song choice.

[@ASmallProduction]

The gather isn't the issue in the game, it's his step back where it seems like he takes twice the number of steps he should be allowed to take.

[@THIS---GUY]

The first set of steps are the gather step then he steps back legally

[@ASmallProduction]

@@THIS---GUY I get the rule but something about it feels wrong every time I see it.

[@THIS---GUY]

@@ASmallProduction NHL has reviews for offsides which are sometimes overturned goals for 1/4 inch so maybe NBA can challenge the dribbles or a foul and then be punished when they see that harden is legally pulling back or euro stepping with a perfectly times gather step.. a skill that should be celebrated and emulated not hated on and called illegal without understanding the rules

[@MrAnonymous650]

When you pick up the ball with 2 hands, you stop if you already took 2 of more steps..

[@benzalcala5282]

The former called carrying the ball or travel is all dead by this new rules

[@raifordkenneth15]

no when he touched the ball then his foot hit the ground it's a straight travel call

[@raifordkenneth15]

@Borsalino Kizaru they did both touch at the same time

[@raifordkenneth15]

@Borsalino Kizaru it didn't touch at the sametime

[@Chris-my9hf]

That ain't no gather step clear travel don't @ me

[@AkaTipla]

@ThisDumbass^^

[@d-watshoustonsfinest7363]

That slow mo..was monster.

[@blakskorpion513]

Another example of more than 3 steps between dribbles is the Jamal Crawford/ Chris Paul nutmeg. Wish you could show more of that one, it's one of my favorites!

[@cobrakai4266]

It’s all about juicing up the scoreboard for more points

[@PennyHDTV]

Dribble ends when ball touched his body..

[@brady4133]

Yeah and... he takes a gather when it hits his body and 2 more after???

[@carnelld.i.ytobegreat6954]

0:27 no travel he took 2steps harden a beast at knowing when to take his gather dribble

[@Jackie_Fhan]

if we all can travel we are all better like james? lol

[@onyo6498]

@@Jackie_Fhan fatty

[@pedrojello8983]

@@Jackie_Fhan do it than lol you still in your couch lost not knowing what to do with your life

[@Jackie_Fhan]

@@pedrojello8983 I must be small if I'm in my couch

[@pedrojello8983]

@@Jackie_Fhan well I wouldn't be surprise because your dad was the only dumb fuck who was able to play basketball under the bed

[@iamkailong]

Here is one thing you miss. Harden do put his hand on top of the ball before zero stip, however on the side he looks like he is using his body to hold the ball, this also is consider as gathering the ball. For judge it is pretty god damn hard to see this not an actual travel.

[@fredpeterarope9802]

He picked the ball first before the foot touches the floor. Then that is considered a first step.

[@Chris-od1jp]

2:27 ball stops rotating, means he's ended his dribble by letting the ball come to a rest, then the right foot lands and is the first step

[@JimmyKillem69]

i even saw it in real-time that it was legal, i guess i should be calling NBA games and getting paid handsomely lmao

[@JimmyKillem69]

thanks for the vid, a lot of people don't understand the gather step, let alone how it should be applied in a case like this harden is one of those players who (wisely) tests the boundaries of what is legally possible in this game, so he can get an edge over other players and i respect that it's really annoying to people who don't really understand some of the rules

[@justincase4892]

Did you see the Carry at the beginning of the sequence.?

[@JimmyKillem69]

@@justincase4892 that's a live dribble, not a carry

[@sckilla9162]

But yet if i did this exact move at 24hr or in my Rec League its a travel....

[@MuttonErase]

Cuz people dont know the rules and it looks different than anything theyve ever seen before so they call it

[@kosmique]

yep, its all about the gather and this video is 100% correct. Ive been trying to tell this to people too but its no use.

[@unbound2424]

I did this in a pick up game and I hit 13 threes straight, want to know the secret, shoot the exact same way each time and when you step back it gets you in your proper set shooting form, from your right eye and bends your arm in the proper way then you shoot without much thinking.

[@justinxu8205]

Mans didn't travel but he missed damn near every layup

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

this comment lmao