Finally NBA referees have the courage to call traveling on Russell Westbrook

I get the idea. It’s a big game. We don’t want big-name players having their moments taken away by some attention-seeking official. “Let the players play,” they say. If Russell Westbrook takes a couple steps, what’s the big deal, right?

Wrong. It’s not about stars; it’s about standards. If a league-appointed rulekeeper out there wants a bit of play for doing the correct thing, then that should be applauded. These players of today get beneficial call after beneficial call. What horrible lessons is this teaching to our horrible children?

Well tonight, when people were looking for Russ to posterize a former teammate, a former best friend and playmate for simply going to a different city. Someone people look for tertiary complications like “playing for a different team” or “throwing away nearly a decade of progress together,” but that’s just nitpicking. We all have to look out for our best interest in our daily jobs. Sure, some might say “The NBA isn’t like our daily jobs, like, at all” but to them I reply “Shut up. I’m still talking.”

And in Golden State, Westbrook is still walking.

Disgraceful.

Showboatingable.

Bad.

It’s safe to say that if the ref didn’t blow that whistle, Russell Westbrook would have walked the full length of the court. If we’re lucky, he would have flicked up a classy layup for two. If we were unlucky, it would have been one of those gaudy “slam dunk” monstrosities. The most likely outcome would have been for him to walk straight into the tunnel with the ball cradled in his angsty arms and no basketball would be played ever again.

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We can’t have that. You can’t have baskets without a ball, and you can’t have basketball without the rules. The rules are the best part. How come people don’t go out there and punch each other in the face? Because rules. Rules are good. Rules rule. If anything, Westbrook should be happy he wasn’t thrown out for trying to show up the ref by walking a small amount.

The game is still ongoing, but no matter the final score the refs, and the fans, have won.