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During the Warriors’ Game 5 loss to the Rockets, Golden State’s broadcast accused Dillon Brooks of intentionally going after Steph Curry’s injured right thumb on a first-quarter three-point attempt.
Since then, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr commented on the issue didn’t hold back. He’s frustrated the rules even allow that kind of contact.
“So the rule in the NBA is once the shot has been released, you’re allowed to hit a guy’s arm,” Kerr said. “And so what’s happened in the league this year is, players always are, they’re going to outsmart the rules. They know what they’re doing.
“So players all over the league are just taking shots at guys’ shooting hands after the release because they know it’s not going to be a foul.”
Steph Curry’s thumb ahead of Game 5 🫣 pic.twitter.com/finikV5LzU
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 30, 2025
Kerr is referring to a specific rule in the NBA’s official rulebook. It states:
“Note that after the shooter releases the ball, contact with the shooter’s hand during the shooter’s follow thru can be deemed legal, provided that the contact is incidental, and it is not hostile, nor overly physical.”
Kerr thinks that’s nonsense and he’s confident the league will fix it.
“And I’m very confident that next year the league will fix it because it’s only a matter of time before somebody breaks a thumb or breaks a hand or whatever,” he said. “But these are the rules. I do believe they’re allowed to call a flagrant if they want. The refs can call flagrant if a guy winds up and takes a shot.
“But no, it’s been happening across the league all year long. It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, but we have to take it through the league process to get that changed and that will probably happen this summer I would guess.”
As for Brooks, he didn’t exactly deny the allegations of deliberately targeting Steph when asked about it.
“I’ve been playing the game,” Brooks said. “If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time. So whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”
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