These five NBA legends forced rule changes in the league

There are a number of NBA players who revolutionized the game and even caused rule changes in the league. Let's take a look at five legends who left their mark on basketball.

When Michael Jordan debuted his new Air Jordan 1s in 1984, his red and black colourway became controversial. NBA commissioner David Stern had a policy that every shoe had to be 51% white, so his new colourway was banned.

However, Nike and Jordan continued to promote the red and black colourway of his new shoes, leading to a $5000 (£3,817, €4,529) fine every time he wore them in a game! The ban was finally lifted in 2018, but it was the Jordan movement that got the ball rolling.

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It's hard to imagine that Charles Barkley's backside was the reason a rule was changed in the NBA. However, Barkley's ability to back down opponents in the post and get a favourable shot after 20 seconds made the game too tedious and repetitive.

Because Barkley would try this multiple times, the NBA enforced the 'five-second violation' rule or the 'Charles Barkley rule.' The rule forced offensive players to pass or shoot the ball within five seconds if they were below the free-throw line and under the basket.

Shaquille O'Neal is the most dominant big man of all time, and in his prime, he was a nightmare for defenders and backboards alike. Standing at 7 ft 1 in and 325 lbs, 'Shaq' broke two backboards in his rookie year, leading to the NBA getting stronger rims and backboards.

According to Jumpshot Media, O'Neal's former coach, Phil Jackson, credits 'Shaq' for introducing the three-second rule. This rule stopped defensive players from camping in the paint and waiting for easy rebounds and blocks. O'Neal's dominance made the game more open.

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Kevin Durant is one of the most explosive scorers in NBA history. The Phoenix Suns forward is elite on three levels, but even he uses a loophole to draw fouls and get to the line. The move is called the rip-through.

On the rip-through, an offensive player intentionally swings his arms into an aggressive defender and heaves the ball toward the basket, hoping to draw a foul. The NBA ruled that this move would not be allowed to grant a shooting foul, ending the rip-through loophole.

NBA star James Harden had mastered getting to the free-throw line in the NBA. After taking 20 free throws in a single game against the Orlando Magic, the NBA made sure that players could not get to the free-throw line by intentionally bumping into defenders.

According to Fadeaway World, in 2022, the NBA changed its rules, and Harden took a shot at the league, saying: "At this point, you can't touch nobody defensively. Or it'll be two free throws." Harden's attempts to lock arms with defenders were soon ended.

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