"In an effort to liven the game and inject more motion,
the NBA's Board of Governors have approved four rules
changes that will help teams at one end of the court and
cause them problems at the other end," according to Glenn
Rogers of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. The rules changes
include: The three-point line moves back to its original
distance of 23 feet, 9 inches at the top of the circle, but
remains 22 feet in the corners; defenders cannot use a
forearm against an offensive player facing the basket;
players cannot call time out while falling out of bounds;
and charging fouls will not be called if the defender is
within a half-circle that "radiates" four feet from the
center of the basket (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 6/28).
Magic Asst. Coach Tree Rollins: "I think the NBA wants to
make the game more appealing to the fans. ... It's obvious
the league is trying to do what the fans want. And the fans
want more scoring. The changes are good." NBA Senior
VP/Ops Rod Thorn: "Fans are coming to the games to see
action and competition. You've got to have a product that
people want to come see" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/29).