The NBA Will No Longer Tolerate Lengthy Pregame Handshake Routines

Finally, the NBA is doing something to speed up the game. Surely, that means there won't be as many of those interminable television timeouts, right? Hahaha, no. The problem, see, is handshakes—those fun, entertaining little routines in which many players engage just after the pregame introductions. Yeah. They're on the clock now. Which is just what no one wanted.

Once the introductions have concluded, players now have 90 seconds to get ready for the opening tip. If they're not set, too bad: The ball's going up. Kevin Durant, whose pregame routine from a 2011 game can be seen above, is among those who has to get used to it. Last night, during a preseason game against the Bobcats, Durant still happened to be doing his thing when the game started. His teammates had noticeably rushed through their rituals. And Durant isn't happy about it.

From :

"I personally don't like it," Durant said of the 90-second rule. "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 don't make no sense. Why would you do it? I really don't agree with it, but I don't make the rules."

[ The Oklahoman, via SLAM]