The NBA season saw it’s first full night of action on Wednesday with most of the league’s teams playing their first game of the season. That meant we got our first look at LaMelo Ball teaming up with Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Our first look at NBA refereeing was a reminder that we still may have some rust to work off from the offseason.
Ball had a strong start with the Timberwolves, scoring 16 points in the first half on 4-8 shooting from downtown. And in a replay on one of those trifectas, a signature stepback, the ESPN lead announcing crew of Mike Breen, Tim Legler, and Richard Jefferson were all in amazement at what they saw.
The most obvious travel in the history of NBA basketball.
As Ball gathered himself and stepped behind the three-point line, he appeared to take at least four steps and then a jump stop before going up for the shot. As Legler was talking about Ball’s distance shooting, the announcers saw the travel and then yelled out in unison, “That’s a travel!”
“That’s a travel.”
How many steps from LaMelo?
https://t.co/pmuhYg1zQb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 22, 2026
Breen exclaimed twice, “That has to be called” as he was in disbelief over the no-call.
NBA referees certainly have a reputation of turning a blind eye to what should be called as traveling violations. But while most fans probably don’t mind some leniency here and there to help the game flow, moments like this are just plain egregious. LaMelo Ball will break all the NBA scoring and shooting records in league history if he’s allowed to shuffle his feet and create this kind of space without having to take a dribble.
It’s not quite Russell Westbrook calmly walking the ball up the floor and seemingly forgetting the rules of basketball, but it’s definitely a worthy addition to the “Travels but they get increasingly outrageous” collection.
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