“Can We Stop Changing Rules?”: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant’s Injuries Bring Out Controversial Take Leaving NBA Twitter Divided

The NBA has seen some drastic rule changes over the past few years. Unlike the very physical 1980s and the 90s, defenders now have to keep a close eye on their movements to avoid fouls in the modern game. Recently, NBA superstars Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered injuries in the first round of the NBA playoffs as they fell awkwardly following some heavy charges during their first-round matchups. This prompted a controversial take and heated debate ensued in NBA circles.

According to Zach Harper of The Athletic, charges should be banned from the modern NBA game. He stated that charges cannot be considered regular basketball plays. Harper’s hot take wreaked havoc in the NBA community across social media platforms, as fans showed up with divided opinions.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant suffer heavy blows early in the playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies suffered heavy blows at the start of the 2023 NBA playoffs. Not only did they lose their respective first round Game 1 matchups, their franchise players suffered injuries in the process.

With just over four minutes left in the first quarter, The Greek Freak collided with 2016 NBA champion Kevin Love. Antetokounmpo was down on the court for a while before returning back to the game. It all seemed fine but the Bucks were in for a major upset. Giannis left the game owing to his injury right before halftime.

Meanwhile, Ja Morant suffered a similar blow. During the Los Angeles Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies contest, Morant went up for a basket late in the fourth quarter. It all seemed routine for the 2020 Rookie of the Year. However, an unfortunate collision with Anthony Davis left him grounded. Morant was visibly in pain and it seems like he is likely to miss game 2 against the Lakers.

Following the two high-profile injuries, some people on the internet have talked about potential rule changes. One of them is Zach Harper of The Athletic. Harper’s controversial take has divided NBA Twitter with many expressing their disappointment.

READ MORE: “Such a Liability”: Lakers Fans Left Distraught Online After “Soft” Anthony Davis Faces Disheartening Injury vs Ja Morant’s Grizzlies

Eminent reporter’s controversial take divides NBA Twitter 

Zach Harper talked about the legitimacy of the charge in modern-day basketball. He wrote, “The charge isn’t really a basketball play… It’s really not, especially not anymore. Not with today’s athleticism. The charge is a bailout call for the defense.” 

Naturally, this has left NBA fans in turmoil. Here’s what they had to say.

Interestingly, some fans seemed to agree with Harper’s take. Former NBA champion Kyle Kuzma also expressed his opinion on this take and he didn’t seem too happy about it.

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Do you think the charge should be banned? Let us know in the comments down below.