NBA rule enforcement could limit players' pre-game rituals

In the video above, released in July, the NBA was promoting the players' pre-game rituals from the 2011-2012 season. However, the league seemingly has changed its tune, and will be looking to crack down upon pre-game rituals this season.

 According to ESPN, the NBA will be more heavily enforcing its 90 second rule this year, where players only have a minute and a half between the end of introductions before and tip-off. The reasoning behind this seems to be to deter athletes from doing their pre-game rituals, which have become a popular part of the game for both players and fans:

The NBA is taking steps to cut down on pregame handshakes and rituals that have become popular with players in recent years. Starting this season, as soon as player introductions are finished, there will be 90 seconds put on the game clock, and teams will be expected to be ready for tipoff after that time.

Players have been advised of the initiative during the annual meetings with referees in the preseason as part of the league's "points of emphasis."

"There's a 90-second countdown, it is placed on the clock," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. "At 30 seconds, there's a warning horn and alert by the refs. At the end, teams need to be ready to tip off or face a delay-of-game warning."

Two delay-of-game warnings would result in a technical foul.

This might not seem like a big deal, but pre-game rituals have become a part of the game for those who follow the sport. Over the years, many fans have paid money to experience all aspects of an NBA game, not just the game itself but also Kevin Garnett banging his head upon the stanchion, Dwayne Wade to doing pull-ups on the rim, LeBron to tossing chalk, Rasheed Wallace dancing, Dwight Howard throwing stuff into the crowd, and more. Let's face it-- as fans, we have all shared and commented on these types of videos a great deal because we enjoy them, and part of the experience of watching a sporting event is to enjoy ourselves.

Even Kevin Durant, who is usually a fairly soft-spoken individual, has spoken out against the 90-second rule enforcement:

"I personally don't like it," Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant told The Oklahoman. "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 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."

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