I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade here, but it doesn’t matter! De’Aaron Fox pulled off one of the greatest deliberate-missed-free-throw-for-a-putback plays in NBA history, and the call stood. So it’ll stay in the record books and highlight reels forever.
But! It looks like it shouldn’t have counted.
The Sacramento Kings were down 119-117 to the Minnesota Timberwolves with 4.7 seconds remaining and Fox at the free-throw line. Somehow, he bounced his attempt perfectly back to himself and he laid in the rebound. The Kings would eventually win in overtime, 133-129.
However, some NBA fans pointed out that his foot was over the free-throw line before the ball hit the rim:
NBA rules state the following:
The free throw shooter may not step over the plane of the free throw line until the ball touches the basket ring, backboard or the free throw ends.
So why didn’t Ryan Saunders challenge it? He tried. From The Athletic:
Saunders said he tried to challenge whether Fox got into the lane too soon, but officials told him that was not a reviewable play.
