Overview
- During the Timberwolves’ season opener in Miami on Wednesday, LaMelo Ball used a screen, gathered the ball, took multiple extra steps and hit a step-back three that on-court officials did not whistle as a travel.
- The NBA Referees’ official X account posted that the sequence was illegal and said Ball “takes four steps after gathering the ball and travels,” giving the league a clear postgame acknowledgment of a missed call.
- ESPN’s lead announcing crew all called the play a travel on live TV, the clip went viral on social media, and Lonzo Ball mocked the sequence on X while LaMelo later brushed off the criticism in a SportsCenter interview.
- The missed call did not change the outcome: Minnesota beat Miami 131-106 as LaMelo finished with 21 points and six assists and teammate Anthony Edwards scored 45 points.
- The episode highlights the modern debate over the gather-and-two-step interpretation, underscores concerns about inconsistent in-game enforcement, and could increase pressure on referees and the league to clarify or reapply the rule.