Does anyone know why Kobe Bryant's pass over the backboard was not an illegal pass?

Was he playing HS or college basketball when he made the pass?

If not, then that's why.

This was last night. So defintely NBA rules. And even with HS or college rules he should not be able to do what he did last night. Essentially he was so far behind the basket he passed the ball behind the backboard and over for an alley-oop to his teammate who slammed it home.

Which is legal in the NBA!

Rule 8 II b
Any ball that rebounds or passes directly behind the backboard, in either direction, from any point is considered out-of-bounds.

Note that it's OOB if it passes "behind the backboard." It does not say it's a violation if it passes "over the backboard."

The key word in the NBA rule is "directly". The way the rule is generally called is that if the ball passes directly over the middle of the board (like when it hits the rim and then bounces up and over), this is a violation. If the ball passes over a corner or near the edge of the backboard, this is not considered to be directly over the backboard, and is generally not called.

I'm packing up my house for a move, so I can't lay my hands on my Q&A. I don't know if there's a specific case play or not, but that's how it was explained to me.

Had something similar happen last year in IM basketball here at college. We use highschool rules. A player made a shot attempt over the backboard and it went in. I called a violation and gave the ball to the other team. Both teams looked at me dumbfounded and said "[someone] did it last night on tv against the [some team]."
My reply: "We play highschool rules here, that's not legal in highschool rules."
They accepted the explination and the game progressed.

Is you Q&A for NBA rules? How can I get something like that other than going to a camp?

Thanks.

The Q&A is the NBA version of a casebook.

I don't know if it's available for sale or not. I got mine through a league I worked for a while.

If you go to the NBA referee's web site, you can ask rules questions yourself, and they will have a member answer it.

http://www.nbarefs.org/

Top of the page on the right.

Thanks JR. You are always so helpful.

Helpful?

Good grief. :)

I maybe jumped to conclusion too early. :)
they have not replied my question yet. we'll see.