First it was Al Horford. Then in Boston's recent loss to the Magic, it was Jayson Tatum assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim. This focus on what NBA referees view as a celebration after a dunk is not good for the game or the players.
As Tatum indicated following the loss, players hang on to the rim briefly to avoid injury via an unbalanced landing or coming down on another player. Granted, we have all seen some players treating the rim as a pull-up bar in the gym following a slam dunk. That is celebratory and should be treated as such.
But there are enough injuries and rules that slow the game down. The techs against both Al and Jayson were unwarranted. It is still a subjective call, but the refs should not be calling for a tech every time someone briefly hangs on the rim - checks the landing spot - and comes down from the heights.
That is all!
Is the NBA wrong in focusing so closely on their players that hang on the rim after dunks. If it's clearly a prolonged celebration - no problem calling a tech. If safety-driven - no tech. Not a difficult call. Your thoughts?https://t.co/HiIv8ZL7Sc
— Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) November 26, 2023
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