Is this the end of the LeBron James and Kevin Garnett chalk toss? We may still see pregame rituals such as those this upcoming season, but they’ll have to be completed in a timely fashion. According to The Oklahoman, the NBA has decided to require teams to return to the court for the opening tip no more than 90 seconds after pregame introductions have concluded. Kevin Durant is disappointed by the new rule.
“I personally don’t like it,” Durant said. “Every player in this league has routines they do with their teammates, rituals they do before the game and before they walk on the floor. The fans like it. The fans enjoy it. You see the fans mimicking the guys who do their stuff before the game. To cut that down really don’t make no sense. Why would you do it? I really don’t agree with it, but I don’t make the rules.”
Like many other team leaders, Durant likes to acknowledge each of his teammates personally before tip-off.. Before their preseason game against the Bobcats on Tuesday night, the ball was put into play before the Thunder had finished their greetings.
“Maybe I’ve got to go a little quicker,” Durant continued. “I’ve got to make sure I acknowledge all my teammates before I walk out on the floor. That’s just how I am. That’s how we are as a team, guys do their thing, their handshakes. I do the tying (of) the shoes, the praying. I’ve just got to speed it up.”
Like the new flopping rules, the NBA is probably going to have to levy a few fines before players actually start adhering to the 90-second policy. It’s going to take a lot to stop a guy like Garnett from pointing to each section of the TD Garden crowd and smashing his head off the pad underneath the basket before every game. If K.G. has to rush while rattling his brain he may not be ready to play.
