NBA players have some strange rituals and superstitions. Some players have a pre-game routine in which they pull themselves up on the rim or net, others like to punch the pad underneath the basketball hoop like they are a boxer. But the superstition that has many fans entertained but puzzled as to why players do it is blocking shots after the whistle.
Why do basketball players block shots after the whistle? Basketball players especially in the NBA are known to block shots after the whistle. This is because they don’t want the shooter to get into a rhythm and find their shot during the game. Usually, centers and power forwards are already standing underneath the basket when the shot goes up after the whistle.
But the question remains isn’t it goaltending if players reject shots after the whistle? How did this trend start anyway? All these questions will be answered in this article.
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Goaltending Rule
The goaltending rule is as follows, a player is not allowed to disrupt the path of the ball when it is on its way down into the or towards the basket. If the ball is sitting or around the rim, the player(s) are not allowed to touch the ball and disrupt its movement. If the ball touches the backboard or rim no player may also touch it.
So why isn’t blocking the shot after the whistle a goaltend? Usually, the play in question when the referee blows the whistle is a nonshooting foul. By the time a player decides to shoot after the whistle, the players underneath the basket on defense have enough time to jump up and block the shot knowing it is in fact a nonshooting foul.
The player who shoots the ball may be called for a delay of game, referees do not like extra activity after the play is broken and has stopped. Generally when players do shoot its immediately after the player hears the whistle blown.
Blocking a shot after the whistle does not count as an individual stat under blocks per game for the player. Blocking a shot after the whistle has become an unwritten rule in the NBA. There are no limits to the type of shots that get rejected after the whistle, layups, mid-range, and three-pointers.
Kevin Garnett the O.G. of Blocking Shots after the Whistle
Kevin Garnett was a 7 foot tall athletic freak of nature drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. As a potential NBA prospect coming out of high school, Garnett would wow scouts at the NBA combine where he was seen jumping up to touch the top of the square on the backboard numerous times in a row, rebounding as soon as he touched the ground. That square is eleven and a half feet.
I use to hate Kevin Garnett when he played for the Boston Celtics but the more I do research on former players and write articles I have grown to understand some of these players I use to dislike, besides who wouldn’t want to have this guy on their team.
Garnett was a player who played with a lot of passion, fight, and talked a lot of trash. Some may say he was absolutely insane when he played, his intensity was too much to handle sometimes. Joakim Noah in an interview idolized Kevin Garnett growing up and when he met him on the court face to face, lined up at the free-throw line. Noah was standing beside Kevin Garnett and let him know that as a kid he idolized him. Bad move on Noah’s part, Kevin Garnett proceeded to cuss him out all the way back down the court with a lot of unhealthy words.
That’s just who Garnett was, his intensity went unmatched on the court. He is well known for blocking shots after the whistle before anyone else did it. He would swat the ball with a chip on his shoulder and voice his opinion at the same time. He is one of the few players who not only played the physical game but the mental game also.
Psychology and the Mental Game of basketball
Basketball is not only physical but mental also. A guy Like Kevin Garnett knows that a player trying to find his rhythm, whether he does it on purpose or for fun.
Some may think it’s not a big deal and players are wasting their energy blocking shots after the whistle, and I can see their point of view. But I do believe it has merit for a shooter to shoot after the whistle. This is one more shot they can take that will not affect the play of the game but get them back into sync or shooting rhythm. If a player has missed their last couple shots in the game and then makes the shot after the whistle, this can take a player from ice cold to heating up, or being on fire. It only takes one shot for a shooter to start feeling it.
If after a shot is blocked the struggling player only can wonder if the ball was going into the rim or not. That’s the mental game, one shoot can make the world of difference.
The opposite side of it can be true, players like to see their shot going into the basket. Seeing it go through the hoop has positive psychological effects on a player. A shooter who struggles and can’t make a shot will have a battle with not only the team but his own mind, hence why players from the opposing team will not let the ball go into the hoop.
The more a shooter misses the more they are battling with themselves and trying to fight with every muscle in their body to try and perform while just trying to make one shot. Smart basketball payers will use every advantage to get an edge on competition even if it means shooting after the whistle.
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