I was directed to this dunk that Blake Griffin had in the first quarter against the Rockets. In normal speed it looks like a perfectly fine dunk to me. But after reading the comments, some people suggested that he traveled in the process with three steps.

I didn’t see it that way initially, but I can tell why they would assume that. I had to watch this video at least a few times to make sure I saw what the others were seeing.

Part of this confusion is that the NBA is very poorly officiated on a nightly basis and traveling is just so confusing that I don’t know what traveling is anymore. After all, the league doesn’t call traveling anymore anyway.

But was this move by Griffin traveling?

Upon further review, I have to say no. But not by much.

The reason why the three steps doesn’t count in this instance is because traveling doesn’t count unless the player has full possession of the ball. And it wasn’t until Griffin had both hands on the ball, thus securing possession, did the steps start to count. By then, it’s only two steps before the dunk.

It’s a very hard thing to catch with the naked eye and most times officials will let it pass. But the confusing part is that he secures the possession before his left foot comes down. But that left foot doesn’t begin the constitute as the first step because he’s in mid-air. You can’t start a first step unless you’re stepping from the ground. It’s until he is on the ground, that’s when the first two steps begin.

Like I had mentioned, it comes back to the confusion of what is traveling in this league. When officials aren’t calling the travels anymore with consistency, it just furthers the NBA as one of the most poorly officiated leagues in all of professional sports. Maybe I am completely wrong here and that’s probably the league doesn’t show me what traveling is anymore.

You tell me. Was it a travel?