What is traveling in basketball?

There are a myriad of rules to follow when watching an NBA or NCAA basketball game and it can be hard to track. The rules are not always enforced the same, either, so it is important to note what should constitute a rule violation by the law of the land.

It is also beneficial to know these things for personal reasons. Everyone hates a blacktop argument about whether or not something is a foul, so knowing exactly what makes something a foul will give players a leg up.

Perhaps one of the most controversial fouls in recreational basketball is the traveling violation. There are a lot of different interpretations of the rule, but what exactly is the law of the land?

What is traveling in basketball?

Traveling in basketball is when a player with the ball takes too many steps without dribbling the ball. In the NBA, if a player takes more than two steps without dribbling the basketball it is considered a travel violation. The NCAA does not establish the same two-step rule but it is enforced in a similar manner.

There is also traveling in regard to someone’s pivot foot. If a player picks up their dribble they are allowed to lift one foot off the ground and pivot, making the foot on the floor the pivot foot. If the player lifts that pivot foot it is considered a travel.

If a player attempts a jump shot and comes down on both feet with possession of the ball it is considered a travel. If a player hops on the same foot without the other foot touching the ground it is also considered a travel.

Travel violations are considered as turnovers in the box score with the other team immediately gaining possession of the basketball.

Lakers all-time leaders in travels:

Travels are not called as frequently as they should be in the NBA but there are still a lot of instances of them throughout any given season. While travels have been in the NBA for a long time, the number of travels a player recorded only started being recorded in 1996.

With that in mind, here are the Lakers’ all-time leading travelers since the stat started being recorded:

1. Kobe Bryant — 243 travels
2. Shaquille O’Neal — 162 travels
3. Andrew Bynum — 107 travels
4. Lamar Odom — 64 travels
5. Kyle Kuzma — 62 travels
6. Julius Randle — 49 travels
7. LeBron James — 45 travels
8. Jordan Clarkson — 45 travels
9. Eddie Jones — 36 travels
10. Elden Campbell —  34 travels

Kobe Bryant being atop this list is no surprise as he played for the Lakers far longer than any of these other players on the list. The worst traveler on this list is Andrew Bynum, who recorded over 100 travels for the Lakers in 392 games played.

LeBron James is going to climb this list during the 2023-24 season for the Lakers and will likely end up No. 6 ahead of Julius Randle. We all know this number should probably be a bit higher, though, if the league called the rule by the book.