NBA referees have confirmed that Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball traveled on his way to a 3-pointer during Wednesday night's game against the Miami Heat, despite Ball's insistence otherwise.
The referees' union posted a clip of the play on X, explaining that Ball gathered the ball with his right foot planted and was permitted two steps under the rules. Instead, he took four steps after gathering the ball before releasing his shot. "For everyone asking, 'how is this legal?' It's not!" the union wrote.
Even Ball's brother, seven-year NBA veteran Lonzo Ball, recognized the violation immediately, posting "Travel lmaoooo" on social media. In a televised interview with ESPN after the game, LaMelo Ball, who was making his Minnesota debut, rejected the call and blamed the family dynamic. "He hatin'. He hatin'," he said.
The disputed shot came in the second quarter and broke a 39-39 tie. However, it had little impact on the final result. LaMelo Ball scored 21 points, and Minnesota cruised to a 131-106 victory.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing