Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment
Andy Nesbitt

LeBron James Got Called For Breaking Such an Obscure Rule and NBA Fans Had Conspiracy Theories

LeBron James NBA Lakers

LeBron James and the Lakers were unable to end their series with the Warriors on Wednesday night, losing Game 5 to the defending champions 121–106. 

Los Angeles, who saw Anthony Davis leave Game 5 with a head injury, got off to a slow start and was never able to recover. The series now heads back to L.A. for Game 6 on Friday with the Lakers holding onto a 3–2 lead.

There was one call early in the game that seemed to set the tone for the night and it was a weird one: James got whistled for a five-second, back-to-the-basket violation while dribbling the ball early in the first quarter. 

This was something that is just so rarely seen: 

Here's the full play: 

TNT’s Stan Van Gundy said on the broadcast that it was the first time he’d seen one of those called all season. 

The NBA rule states: 

"An offensive player in his frontcourt below the free throw line extended is not allowed to dribble the ball with his back or side to the basket while being actively guarded by an opponent for more the 5 seconds.”

It was the right call, but just so weird to see it get called. 

NBA fans had theories: 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Ozzy Osbourne hides marijuana habit from wife Sharon
Ozzy Osbourne still smokes marijuana but tries to keep his habit hidden from wife Sharon.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
I just discovered Netflix canceled the most realistic zombie show I’ve ever seen – here’s why Black Summer is still worth streaming
It's far from a summer vacation
TechRadar
TechRadar
Some vapes claiming to be cannabis contain ‘synthetic cannabinoid’ – study
University of Bath researchers found seven vaporizers sourced from the US contained dangerous SC compound
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
‘This guy was shady’: Zeppo Marx’s underworld links revealed in new book
The youngest Marx brother mingled as easily with mobsters as with movie stars and was on a mission to make money
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Smokers have a higher level of harmful bacteria in the mouth – new study
A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 8 million people die annually from smoking related complications. Despite efforts by governments and various organisations to create awareness about the dangers, around 1.3 billion people still use some form of tobacco and 80% of them live in low…
The Conversation
The Conversation
Don't fall for fake dentists offering veneers and other dental work on social media
Dentists say unlicensed practitioners offering cheap dental veneers are putting patients at risk
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play