There is a term calledstat padding‘ that hits hard again in the NBA. It deals with ‘forcing’ unrealistic numbers (statistics) in the matches. Capturing ‘unnatural’ rebounds, asking teammates to help… in order to improve the numbers at the end of the game. It was popularized by Russell Westbrook, in that race to add triple-doubles against Oscar Robertson’s record. And there are other stars that do not hide it on certain occasions.
In fact, Kendrick Perkins, a former player and now a television analyst, directly accused Nikola Jokic of doing it. The Serbian, after one of his triple-double, even made fun of the old interior. “I just force statistics,” he recounted. The ‘stat padding’ came to the fore again and another star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is affected. clearly and noticeably.
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In the Bucks’ victory in Washington (111-117), Giannis Antetokoumpo stood out with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory that keeps the Milwaukee team at the head of the NBA. Beyond the purely sporting, he would have finished with nine rebounds. Until in the final second he decided to force his triple-double.
Since the last possession is not usually fought in decided games, Antetokounmpo goes to the rival basket. He throws against the backboard and catches the ball. He counts as a rebound and it’s his 10th. Equivalent to triple-double. The video speaks for its self. Is stat-padding sporty?
