During the Boston Celtics loss to the Orlando Magic, Jayson Tatum was the latest player to be hit with a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Tatum had finished off an offensive play with a thunderous jam, and stayed on the rim to control his momentum before dismounting, only for the referees to blow the whistle.
When speaking to the media following the game, Tatum questioned why the league had implemented the rule. The St. Louis native joked that if he had let go earlier, he likely would have landed on his back.
“That’s a rule that they implemented that quite frankly I don’t think makes any sense,” Tatum said. “Because anybody who has ever played or dunked the ball, your momentum, you just try to make sure that you are stable when you land. You don’t want anyone underneath you. Maybe they just want me to let go and just land on my back.”
Tatum is the latest player to be hit with the new rule. As such, there is a large amount of pushback from NBA fans and media, as many believe the rule change affects the flow of the game and limits the passion and intensity with which the team approaches downhill offense.
Fans will now be hoping that the rule slowly begins to get phased out by game officials, otherwise, we will likely see more members of the Celtics rotation be punished for taking care of their safety after rim-rattling plays.
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