Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) "dribbles" the ball in Game 2. Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Grizzlies' Ja Morant got away with egregious travel in Game 2 win over Warriors

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 5/4/22

NBA referees rarely call players for traveling or carrying these days, which in turn allows the players to routinely commit infractions. That said, what Ja Morant got away with on Tuesday was extremely egregious.

A video clip of a play that occurred during Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies went viral. The video shows Morant blatantly carrying the ball and then traveling two steps before dribbling again.

Ja Morant carries the ball on pretty much every possession…and it never gets called. This is pretty excessive too. pic.twitter.com/ho5JBPsh2l

— Guru (@DrGuru_) May 4, 2022

Morant was running with the ball like he was playing lacrosse rather than basketball.

Some people pointed out other plays where players committed similar violations, such as when Steph Curry split some Grizzlies defenders in the first quarter.

Hey bruh, what's this? https://t.co/52nvHivbyx pic.twitter.com/Y4QhwlvuJc

— Justin Lewis (@J_Timberfake_) May 4, 2022

Sure, Curry should have been called for a violation too. But that was nothing compared to how much of a travel Morant got away with.

It’s obvious the NBA has no problem with players skirting the rules to enhance the entertainment value of the product. But they still need to enforce the rules often enough to protect the integrity of the game. Allowing plays like that to happen reflects poorly on the sport.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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