NBA PUTS THE CLOCK ON PREGAME RITUALS

If Miami Heat forward LeBron

James wants to toss chalk into the air, if Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight

Howard wants to peel plastic off the shoe-grip mat at the scorer’s table and shoot the wadded up plastic into the crowd and if Kevin Garnett wants to fire himself up in front of the padded support at the basket, they better complete their pre-tip-off routines in 90 seconds or less after player introductions. If they — or any players — aren’t ready for the jump ball 90 seconds after introductions, their team will face a delay-of-game warning this season, an effort by the NBA to start games on time. Players can do their pregame rituals as long as they’re completed in 90 seconds. The time will be kept on the scoreboard. At 30 seconds the horn will sound and referees will alert teams that tip-off is coming in 30 seconds. The NBA has had a 90-second rule in place, but over the years the rule failed to be enforced. Now there will be a “more thorough enforcement of an existing rule,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. However, at least one player, Oklahoma City Thunder All- Star forward Kevin Durant, is unhappy with it. “I personally don’t like it,” Durant told The (Oklahoma City) Oklaho

man. “Every player in this league has routines they do with their teammates, rituals they do before the game and before they walk on the floor. The fans like it. The fans enjoy it. You see the fans mimicking the guys who do their stuff before the game. To cut that down really makes no sense. Why would you do it?” — Jeff Zillgitt