Trae Young went halfway to Siberia during Saturday’s game and yet still somehow did not get called for a travel.
The Atlanta Hawks star Young got away with one of the most blatant violations of the year against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. As the first quarter was winding down, Young got trapped on a pick-and-roll above the three-point line and started scrambling to get rid of the ball.
With two Warriors players, Kevon Looney and Jimmy Butler III, in pursuit, Young picked up his dribble, came to a jump stop, and established his right foot as his pivot. But as his momentum was carrying him towards the halfcourt line, Young lifted his pivot foot … and then came down on it again … and then tried to use his left foot as his pivot instead … and then took another step with his right foot (his original pivot) … and only then managed to get rid of the basketball.
Despite Young’s impromptu solo game of “Twister,” the referees turned a blind eye and unbelievably allowed play to continue. Here is the video of the absurd moment (complete with incredulous commentary from the Warriors’ television broadcasters).
The no-call really hurt the Warriors as the Hawks would go on to score a basket on that very same possession via a buzzer-beating midrange shot from Caris LeVert. Atlanta would also end up winning the game 124-115.
At least one referee (No. 25, Tony Brothers) was right there in the area watching the action unfold … and still did nothing. Making matters even more preposterous was that the missed travel happened in front of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who recently implored the NBA to start calling travels more strictly (ironically enough). Apparently, the league still has yet to take Kerr’s advice to heart.
