Lebron's Traveling Journal

[moiso]

It looks ridiculous because he covers so much ground with the first jump.  It does look legal though and I'm surprised more players don't do it.

[BballTim]

  He had one play in the first half where it looked like he caught the ball, took two steps, dribbled, took 2 more steps and got fouled on the layup. All the way from the backcourt to a layup with only one dribble. Must be a world record.

[Greenbean]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2YUDZZV6H8

Refereeeeees dont see like people doooo
The always think its two
When its really 3 or 4
Its just the refereeees

[bdm860]

This is an all time classic from Game 2's Celtic breakthrough win in Cleveland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm0k2rqEeJQ

Now I hear Barkley making excuses for Lebron 

This video even shows it's only 2 steps! So therefore it's legal, what are you complaining about?

[kozlodoev]

It looks ridiculous because he covers so much ground with the first jump.  It does look legal though and I'm surprised more players don't do it.

Because it isn't legal! You can't do a two-foot jump-stop when you've picked up your dribble, and then go back up!

[bdm860]

It looks ridiculous because he covers so much ground with the first jump.  It does look legal though and I'm surprised more players don't do it.

Because it isn't legal! You can't do a two-foot jump-stop when you've picked up your dribble, and then go back up!

Kozlodoev, I see you in both threads saying this.  It is legal.  This has been used in the NBA for years.  It's in the rulebook (although a little hard to interpret).

http://www.nba.com/nba101/misunderstood_0708.html

If a player jumps off one foot on the count of one he may land with both feet simultaneously for count two.

And just to show this rule wasn't invented for LeBron, look Dominique doing the same thing (at about 0:51). This isn't some new rule made up just for LeBron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUf-9ruJi8

[jpd985]

It looks ridiculous because he covers so much ground with the first jump.  It does look legal though and I'm surprised more players don't do it.

Because it isn't legal! You can't do a two-foot jump-stop when you've picked up your dribble, and then go back up!

Kozlodoev, I see you in both threads saying this.  It is legal.  This has been used in the NBA for years.  It's in the rulebook (although a little hard to interpret).

http://www.nba.com/nba101/misunderstood_0708.html

If a player jumps off one foot on the count of one he may land with both feet simultaneously for count two.

And just to show this rule wasn't invented for LeBron, look Dominique doing the same thing (at about 0:51). This isn't some new rule made up just for LeBron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUf-9ruJi8

Wasn't the rulebook recently modified to allow this though?

[markketch]

A progressing player who jumps off one foot on the first step may land with both feet simultaneously for the second step.

It looked weird as all hell, and like a travel, but it actually wasn't.

[Bahku]

[LB3533]

It's an "up & down".

A clear violation.

[Scribbles]

The jump stop is helpful offensive footwork that can be used at the end of a dribble, or to receive a pass and be in triple threat position. At the end of a speed dribble, young players will often stop, fall forward from their momentum, and get a traveling call. Ending the speed dribble with a jump stop will prevent the traveling violation. The jump stop is executed by the player, who is on the run, taking one small step and then landing on both feet simultaneously in proper balance (not leaning forward). When receiving a pass with a jump stop, either foot can be used as the pivot foot. This is especially helpful for the low post player.

There is often confusion on what is or is not traveling and when do you still have a pivot allowable after a jump stop. I have quoted the rules below. My interpretation is this... it depends on whether you already have possession of the ball or not (as in receiving a pass), and whether or not you have already used up the one-step that you are entitled to. When receiving a pass with a jump-stop, you can pivot after the jump-stop and either foot can become the pivot foot. This is especially helpful for post players. A perimeter player can catch the ball with a jump-stop, and the pivot into triple-threat position if necessary and use the non-pivot foot for executing jab-step fakes or a drive step.

Now let's take a player who already has possession of the ball on the outside. He/she makes a dribble move into the lane, picks up the dribble, takes one step, and then lands a two-footed jump-stop. So far, so good. But after landing the jump-stop, he/she cannot move either foot and has no pivot foot since the one step was already used up prior to the jump-stop. He/she could jump upward, but must either shoot or pass the ball before either foot touches the floor again

According to what I quoted, Lebron didn't travel on the jump stop in game two. Trust me I'm the last person that would defend James but what he did was legal. However, I've done a similar move a few times in high school games and have been called for a travel almost everytime.  The difference is the NBA practically allows 3 steps anyways, so its nothing out of the ordinary while a high school or college ref doesn't see a move like that often and mistakes it for a travel when its not.  

That being said Lebron does travels a handful in every game. So one time where he had a legit play doesn't make up for the rest of the missed calls.

[Witch-King]

This is an all time classic from Game 2's Celtic breakthrough win in Cleveland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm0k2rqEeJQ

Now I hear Barkley making excuses for Lebron  

This video even shows it's only 2 steps! So therefore it's legal, what are you complaining about?

This 'pro-hop' was illegal because his leg was still touching the groud when he picked up his dribble. To do the move correctly, you would just dribble once, jump towards your dribble and catch the ball while in midair, effecively picking up your dribble, but since you are already in the air it is not a travel.

The move is similar to picking up your dribble while sprinting because while running at higher speeds there are times when both of your feet are off the ground at the same time anyways.

Heck, you can even jump/pick up your feet (shuffle, sidestep, skip, etc.) as many times as you want while dribbling a basketball as long as you don't pick up your dribble or cup the ball on the underneath. Think of a globe with an equator-line on it; as long as you don't cup the ball anywhere on the lower half (closest to the ground) you are fine. Sometimes when I'm screwing around dribbling, I'll like punch the ball or trap it off of my chest or my shoulder like in soccer - both are legal moves provided you let the ball hit the ground before touching it with your hands again.

[Greenbean]

It's an "up & down".

A clear violation.

Wow you are right. He gathers the ball with TWO hands and THEN jump stops. If anyone else argues that this isnt a travel, Ill just say up and down. Thanks!