The NFL has been mocked for years as the “No Fun League” because of Commissioner Roger Goodell’s clamp down on celebrations and other various shenanigans that would be both entertaining for the fans and enjoyable for the players. Now the NBA seems to be adapting the same outlook.
The league is now limiting post-introduction celebrations, traditions, high-fives, rim hangs and anything else the players want to do to 90 seconds. They say this is in an effort to speed things up and get the game going faster, although I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone ever complain that this was an issue.
Most athletes have things they like to do before a game. Whether it’s to get pumped up or purely out of superstition, it never hurts anybody and usually is great for getting the crowd into the game. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant definitely has his problems with 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.”
Again, I agree with Durant. If you want to make the game time shorter by like one or two minutes, just take those out of half time or something. This really is another dumb decision by the NBA, but I guess one the players will have to follow. We’ll see much shorter warm-up routines this year. Durant is trying to make sure he still gets in his traditions in the abbreviated time.
“Maybe I've got to go a little quicker,” Durant said. “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.”
