[BillyMac]

A player inbounding the ball may step on, but not over the line. During a designated spot throwin, the player inbounding the ball must keep one foot on or over the three-foot wide designated spot. An inbounding player is allowed to jump or move one or both feet. A player inbounding the ball may move backward as far as the five-second time limit or space allows. If player moves outside the three-foot wide designated spot it is a violation, not travelling. In gymnasiums with limited space outside the sidelines and endlines, a defensive player may be asked to step back no more than three feet. A player inbounding the ball may bounce the ball on the out-of-bounds area prior to making a throwin.

I'm six feet tall, and with a long stride, I can legally inbound the ball from an area eleven feet wide, still keeping one of my two feet over the three foot wide designated spot. It's not the number of steps that counts, you can't travel during a throw-in, it's the length of the steps that counts.