Adam Silver says some hack fouls could be flagrant
TORONTO — There will be no dramatic change to the Hack-A-Player rule this season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday.
But he confirmed what he told USA TODAY Sports’ NBA A to Z podcast last week: he feels there needs to be some change but is not sure what that change should be.
Silver said teams are using the Hack-A-Player strategy this season 5½ times more than they did last season.
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“I would say the interesting thing, though, and this is true even among the strongest critics of the so-called Hack-a-Shaq strategy, there doesn't appear to be any clear consensus on what the new rule should be,” Silver said. “It's my job right now to at least formulate an alternative together with the competition committee to ultimately bring to our Board of Governors.”
Any change to rules requires 2/3 approval from owners, who could have potential rules changes to consider at their annual April meetings and perhaps vote on change in July.
Silver said it will be communicated to teams next week that jumping on a player’s back to create a Hack-a-Player situation could result in flagrant foul.
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“We have an owner's meeting here in Toronto (Sunday),” Silver said. “We’re going to talk about it with our owners. Kiki VanDeWeghe, who is head of our basketball operations, has been talking not just to our competition committee but general managers about it and officials, and my sense is we'll be sending out a memo, depending on how the discussion goes next week, just clarifying that.
“Games do not begin again until Thursday night. So the teams have an opportunity to meet with their players and make sure that's clearly communicated that everyone is on notice within an official's discretion, they could call flagrant foul for what we view is a potentially dangerous move like that.”
Last week, the league sent a memo to teams informing them that intentionally fouling a player who is out of bounds will result in a delay of game and possibly a technical foul.