NBC’s Reggie Miller, Jamal Crawford mock Giannis Antetokounmpo travel no-call

The NBA on NBC return entered week two with a doubleheader led off by a game between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Mike Tirico had the play-by-play call alongside color commentators Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford.

In the first quarter, a play from Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo left Miller and Crawford laughing in disbelief that it was even allowed.

Antetokounmpo used his length and numerous steps to go from the half-court logo to the paint for a close-range bucket.

“Oh my goodness,” Miller said through laughter at a travel not being called by the officials. “Wow! Come on! Yeah, we could’ve played ’til we were 50 if we get that runway, Jamal? I need to see that again. Can we count those steps again? Come on, man.”

Tirico explained the NBA’s “gather” rule that allows players to get away with what others might view as a travel.

“It’s the point of the gather, right?” Tirico said. “You get two hands on, under, or otherwise until you gain control.”

Miller then counted the steps.

“One, two, three, four, five,” Miller said.

“He switched sports; he went to soccer,” Crawford joked.

“So, the counting starts when he can’t dribble anymore,” Tirico added. “So, that ball is laying on his hand; he can put it down one more time. Look, [Miller], don’t look at me. I didn’t write the rules. I just read them to you, pal. Okay?”

“Wow,” Miller responded.

“Now, I didn’t say that that wasn’t, I’m just saying that’s what it is,” Tirico said.

“There’s going to be some kid in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, now going to the local gym,” Miller began to explain, before Tirico jumped in with “Yelling ‘gather!'”

Whether or not it’s technically a travel by NBA rules, it’s a bit silly that a player can get away with what Antetokounmpo did there, and it makes it even more difficult for defenses to stop a two-time NBA MVP.

Antetokounmpo went on to finish with 37 points (16-of-22 from the field) in a 121-11 Bucks win.