Well now referees in the NBA can breath a sigh of relief….

NBA players will be able to take two steps before they have to stop, pass or shoot this season.

The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step.

The new rule reads, in part “A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.”

I couldn’t think of a more insignificant thing in the NBA than this.  First of all, any time a player dunks he takes like 8 steps and refs never call it.  Patrick Ewing was the king of this.  It’s as if the refs sensed a big dunk coming and they too were mesmorized only they didn’t do their job.  Michael Jordan had this happen plenty as well.  But I certainly don’t blame the players for this faux pas.

And now that the refs are going to be worse than 3-Year-Old refs, they can at least take comfort in being able to make horrible calls that are now legal.  Although something tells me that Shaq is going to push it to three steps to see what he can get away with.

And why not?  I’m sure he will.  More fun in the NBA!  It’s faaaaaantastic!