I figure that anyone who doesn't think that's a legitimate foul doesn't play basketball. If they did, they'd realize that someone pushing you in the back, even slightly, can have a hell of an effect on the strength of your shot when you're flying toward the basket, especially when their teammate is simultaneously raking your arm.
Wait a minute here, what is Cuban saying, that Wade had established position in the front court before and caught the pass in the front court and then stepped into the backcourt? That would be a violation, but I don't know what happened. For instance, if he caught the ball in the front court or in the air from the front court, he could not go to the back court. Anyway, I think Dallas got jobbed, as you don't call fouls like that with 1.9 seconds left, it just doesn't happen. I still think they win in 7 though......but it is fun to hear them whine. DD
Wade was actually in mid-air when he caught the pass and landed in the backcourt. It appears he was in the backcourt when he caught the pass. Therefore, I don't see what the big deal is. The rule says nothing about having to establish yourself in the backcourt before catching it. The rule basically says that during the last 2 minutes of the 4th and any overtimes, a player is allowed to catch an in-bounds pass from the frontcourt in the backcourt. People are confusing the rule where it says a player has to establish himself as being inbounds before catching a pass, after coming from out of bounds. Wade was inbounds the whole time. I don't understand why folks, and Cuban, feel this rule applies to this instance when it clearly does not.
Does that make the call wrong, though? This wasn't an irrelevant, late tap on the elbow or a little body contact after a shot, or a block that may or may not have been clean. This was one guy with a hand in the back and another with a hold on the guy's shooting arm. They clearly effected his ability to complete the shot, yet they were nowhere close to the ball. I think you have to call that regardless of how little time is left.
If he was in mid air, I am pretty certain that Cuban is correct, he had established position in the front court and can not catch the ball in the back court. I have never been a ref of an NBA game, but I did ref for about 6 years, and as I understand it, what you described would be a violation. DD
where does it say you can't do that? unless you are saying Wade caught the pass while in the front court, and then landed in the backcourt, then the play is perfectly legal
It is where he established position. He had established position in the FRONT court and then caught the ball and landed in the back court - as I understand it, that is a violation. DD
Man you guys are crazy its not the Refs or Sterns fault that Dallas is a weak team that only takes Jump shots how do you want any calls if your only offense is Jump shots??? what do you want???
Go read the rules. They say nothing about having to be established in the backcourt in this specific instance. The "establishing position" rule has to do with a player coming from out of bounds and then inbounds to catch a pass. Wade was never out of bounds, so how would that rule even be applicable here?
That's exactly what happened. He caught the ball while in the front court and hopped to the backcourt.
Then it is a violoation. We had the same rule in High school where you could pass the ball into the back court. Joe - establishing position is a rule that effects more than just in bounds plays, it is a rule that underpins everthing. If he caught the ball in the air, jumping from the front court and landed in the backcourt, it is a violation. DD
Its pretty subjective where exactly he was in mid-air when he caught the ball. Looks like he was right over the line based on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jefurxvjneM&search=Dwayne Wade
I though he was in the air when he caught the ball and landed in the backcourt, having jumped from the frontcourt. If what you say is correct the refs goofed up big time.
I don't know where this "establish" rule came in, but it's not under their rulebook from different sources. I've always believed that it's not the person who establishes the position but WHERE the ball was when caught. It's a weird rule, but it's different between out of bounds play and backcourt play. I could be wrong, but like I said, I'd like to know. The replay looks like it showed Wade's left foot on the line before he jumped and caught in the backcourt, but that video's a little blurry and I've seen two replays where the foot is at diff. places....
