The NBA on Tuesday amended its rule for intentional fouls away from the ball, a move meant mainly to improve quality of play in certain situations. “The introduction of these new rules is designed to curb the increase in such fouls without eliminating the strategy entirely.”O’Neal was the subject of countless intentional fouls away from the ball when he played for the Lakers. The league currently penalizes teams that intentionally foul away from the ball only in the final two minutes of a game. The penalty remains the same — a free throw and possession of the ball are awarded the team that was intentionally fouled. Numerous players have been fouled on purpose in similar situations in recent seasons, including DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard and Andre Drummond.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 13, 2016 01:18 UTC