Crab Dribble?

[grunewar]

If you missed the Cavs vs Wizards NBE game today, there were some interesting events (some of which we talk about here). Look for it on ESPN. Here is an excerpt of a review:

LeBron James wants the NBA to take a closer look at what he calls his "crab dribble." The move, James insists, does not constitute traveling. A referee disagreed Sunday.

James was whistled for taking an extra step while driving for a potential tying layup with 2.3 seconds left, and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost 80-77.

``Bad call,'' said James, who compiled 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. ``We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game, and it was clearly a good play.''

Without raising his voice or getting particularly animated, James dissected the game's key sequence in extensive detail - even pointing out that he felt he was fouled as he released the shot, which went in. His biggest beef, though, was with what he considered a misunderstanding of the way he moved to the basket.

``You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high-step, but it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it - and they need to understand that's not a travel,'' James said. ``It's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done.''

Indeed, Washington's Caron Butler - who scored 19 points and guarded James most of the game, including on that closing play - remembers that same move, without an official's call, from one of the teams' recent playoff meetings.

``I definitely knew he traveled, but I didn't know they were going to call it,'' Butler said about what happened Sunday. ``That was one of them situations in which a great player made a move, good officiating, and they called the call. And I was like, 'Oh, man, there is a God.'''
That was hardly the only contentious moment in a game between teams that faced each other the past three postseasons, with Cleveland winning every series.

…..Oh, and there was the ejection of Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, who ran nearly the length of the court to protest an offensive foul call against James with about 6 1/2 minutes left. The Cavs were down 70-54 early in the fourth quarter, then 71-58 after Butler made one of two technical free throws when Brown was tossed for all his pointing and yelling.

[derwil]

Ahhhhh Love the NBA...........

Maybe they need a couple games where there are no rules. You can walk, run, beat on the other team as much as you want. A no halds barred event worthy of the "Thunderdome"!! Two teams enter, one team leaves!

You know....the Thunderdome.....from Mad Max....Tina Turner/Mel Gibson......Master Blaster......

I hope I'm not dating myself with references to old movies.........

[just another ref]

The last thing Lebron should want is for anybody to take a closer look at his moves.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by derwil

Ahhhhh Love the NBA...........

Maybe they need a couple games where there are no rules. You can walk, run, beat on the other team as much as you want. A no halds barred event worthy of the "Thunderdome"!! Two teams enter, one team leaves!

You know....the Thunderdome.....from Mad Max....Tina Turner/Mel Gibson......Master Blaster......

I hope I'm not dating myself with references to old movies.........

No - if you referenced "The Great Train Robbery", to me that's an old movie. Or maybe not.

[Nevadaref]

If someone posts a video clip of the play that would be helpful and we could take a look.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If someone posts a video clip of the play that would be helpful and we could take a look.

It's on youtube. He looks like Jack jumping over the candlestick.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by just another ref

It's on youtube. He looks like Jack jumping over the candlestick.

How about a link?

[tomegun]

Yes, I think it is traveling too. It is three steps and it doesn't follow the "two count rhythm."

What I don't understand is this being referred to as a poorly executed jump stop. He didn't try to do anything like a jump stop - that description has me puzzled.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Yes, I think it is traveling too. It is three steps and it doesn't follow the "two count rhythm."

What I don't understand is this being referred to as a poorly executed jump stop. He didn't try to do anything like a jump stop - that description has me puzzled.

I know he wasn't trying to do a jump stop, but what I saw was him jumping off the right foot upon gathering the ball. Normally, we see this with a jump stop the way he jumped. The problem was, he had no intention of a jump stop so he basically jump stepped instead of landing on both feet and then jumping; which would have been legal.

Instead, maybe I should have described it as a triple-jump.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I should have described it as a triple-jump.

Now he can participate in two events at the next Summer Olympics, basketball and the triple jump.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Now he can participate in two events at the next Summer Olympics, basketball and the triple jump.

Ya know, some of you guys are just wrong! How can you take a serious post and turn it all upside down? I can’t believe we’re talking about a “triple jump.” This is serious business!

I just checked the NBA Rule Book – Page 734, Section 126, Par 3.c. specifically states – “The “crab dribble”, if executed effectively by a Superstar* shall not be called during “crunch time” of any game, especially in the playoffs. However, said dribble shall be illegal the remainder of the time when not a playoff game or a team has more than a 20 point lead with under 4 minutes to go in the final period.”

Obviously, Lebron was correct and the refs misapplied the rule.

* Superstar is defined in Section 125. (Look it up yourself)

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Ya know, some of you guys are just wrong! How can you take a serious post and turn it all upside down? I can’t believe we’re talking about a “triple jump.” This is serious business!

I just checked the NBA Rule Book – Page 734, Section 126, Par 3.c. specifically states – “The “crab dribble”, if executed effectively by a Superstar* shall not be called during “crunch time” of any game, especially in the playoffs. However, said dribble shall be illegal the remainder of the time when not a playoff game or a team has more than a 20 point lead with under 4 minutes to go in the final period.”

Obviously, Lebron was correct and the refs misapplied the rule.

* Superstar is defined in Section 125. (Look it up yourself)

ROFLMAO,

MTD, Sr.

[Mark Padgett]

This is the only place the "crab dribble" is legal.

[26 Year Gap]

Well, I watched it about 5 times. And I counted 3 steps every time after he had gathered the ball in. Guess he didn't do well in math class.

[grunewar]

WASHINGTON (AP)—Add LeBron James’ “crab dribble” to the lengthy list of talking points in the Cavaliers-Wizards rivalry.

“I’ll have to check in my book to see what a ‘crab dribble’ is. I’m not quite sure,” Washington interim coach Ed Tapscott said with a smile Monday. “I do know that we don’t seem to get away with very many of them, whatever they are.”

James and the rest of the Cavaliers were given Monday off by coach Mike Brown, so the world will have to wait for more thoughts from them as to whether The Chosen One did, indeed, travel a day earlier when driving for a potential tying basket in the closing seconds of Cleveland’s 80-77 loss at Washington.

Referee Bill Spooner waved off the play and called the violation. Asked to clarify his ruling, Spooner wrote in an e-mail to a pool reporter: “3 steps on the move to the basket. Basic travel call.”

The NBA did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press to comment on whether Spooner made the correct call.

On Sunday, James said it was a “bad call” and that “they need to look at it and they need to understand that’s not a travel.”

In giving his take on what happened, James said: “I watched it again, and I took a ‘crab dribble,’ which is a hesitation dribble, and then two steps.”

Asked Monday if he knows what a “crab dribble” is, Wizards All-Star forward Antawn Jamison said, “I know what a traveling is. … I think we all know what traveling is.”

Washington’s other All-Star forward, Caron Butler, gave a similar answer.

“‘Crab dribble’ is when you, uh, travel,” Butler said. “That’s the hottest thing on the market right now.”

Turning to a more serious explanation, Butler said he thought James switched his pivot foot.“I couldn’t do it in AAU, I couldn’t do it in college,” Butler said, “and obviously I can’t do it now.”

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.