The NBA does not have unwritten rules. By definition, the rules technically don’t even exist — they’re all vibes, all standards players think should be upheld, most often made up with no consistency in their interpretation.
No one passed along this memo to the Brooklyn Nets’ Dennis Schröder.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves clocking the Nets in a blowout win on Saturday night, Schröder fully expected Minnesota to turtle with a late 12-point lead and just run the clock. When Minnesota’s Mike Conley took and drained a garbage-time 3-point shot instead, Schröder charged the point guard, taking exception to him not interpreting competition the way he does.
What resulted was one of the sillier “hold me back” scuffles of this entire NBA season:
What the hell is Schroder's issue here pic.twitter.com/K8vZ5DDYHq
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) February 25, 2024
Conley did not mean to embarrass the Nets by taking another shot with the win already secure. He was just playing until the final whistle. There is nothing wrong with Conley’s approach in this last sequence. Schröder is the player who should be reflecting. He’s the one who thought Minnesota should stop playing because they already won. He’s the one who was evidently ready to go just home instead of seeing all 48 minutes finally tick off the clock. He’s the one who unnecessarily charged Conley for breaking the “unwritten rules,” as interpreted by him.
For what it’s worth, Conley — who has never sustained a technical foul in his entire extended NBA career — explained that he was just making a simple basketball play. He didn’t mean anything more with his late shot.
Again, Conley was just competing until the game was actually over.
“It seemed like they were double-teaming Anthony Edwards… I thought, ‘30 seconds left on the clock, I’ll shoot it’… I wasn't even really trying to make it.”
Mike Conley on the scuffle between him and Dennis Schroder 🗣️
(via @3swohlman) pic.twitter.com/nJ0LbCek1m
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 25, 2024
NBA fans were less amused with Schröder’s antics over an anodyne 3-point shot attempt.
More beef for over the unwritten rule of shooting the ball in the final seconds of the game when it's out of reach. https://t.co/HjqtDIhZ0m pic.twitter.com/x2TVCEULZn
— JT (@Jteeeeeezy) February 25, 2024
Basketball players are becoming almost as soft as baseball players. It's not a rule if it's unwritten. https://t.co/KxXLTPkgXb
— Josh Whitcomb (@Whitcomb) February 25, 2024
imagine having an issue with someone who's never had a technical foul in his entire career LOL https://t.co/UEaa3TENbY
— 🇨🇦N-jay 🏀 (@_Njay3) February 25, 2024
this is so stupid, there’s 22 seconds left on the game clock. if he wants to shoot it, fine. if he wants to hold it and accept a team turnover, also fine. who cares https://t.co/4Ed2dt2bgC
— arsh (@dunkerjatt) February 25, 2024
If you don't like 3 point shots late in the game down 12, well don't be down 12 late in the game. https://t.co/02D1rPrMjP
— Nate Pentz (@natepentz) February 25, 2024
This is the most idiotic "unwritten rule" in basketball https://t.co/Pf4O94ERS4
— Filson Wisk. (@Nii_The2nd) February 25, 2024
Mike Conley is a saint, and anyone else would’ve done what he did, I can’t fathom what the issue here was https://t.co/dIE1Q4oB9y
— Christian Pluym (@Pluym3A) February 25, 2024
How dare you shoot the ball before the shot clock runs out. 🙄
Sick league.
(Go Wolves) https://t.co/ugWQGBZ4QG
— Max Veech (@venividiveech) February 25, 2024
