Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors embrace each other after the Nets defeated the Warriors 134-117 in an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on Feb. 13, 2021 in San Francisco.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesMoments after the final seconds ticked off a 134-117 Brooklyn Nets drubbing of the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Kevin Durant went on a hug spree for the ages.
Returning to the Bay Area for the first time since leaving the team after helping the Dubs to three NBA Finals appearances and two titles, Durant embraced Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, then General Manager Bob Myers, then Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown, then former teammates Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Kevon Looney, street clothes-wearing Klay Thompson, Draymond Green again, and really just anyone walking anywhere in his vicinity.
"I thought hugs were banned?" Jeff Van Gundy mused on ABC's broadcast while watching Durant get his hug on.
"They're supposed to be banned," play-by-play announcer Mike Breen replied. "Somebody's gonna get an email."
Hugs are, in fact, banned, according to the NBA.
In January, the league instructed teams to move security into the midcourt before and after games to dissuade hugging violations. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, a January memo from the league clarified that the NBA requires "teams to remain on their half of the court in pregame and halftime warm-ups, and limits physical contact to include only elbow or fist bumps. High-fives, hugs and handshakes aren't allowed, nor are extended postgame conversations."
The memo didn't, however, clarify how hugs are somehow different than playing full-contact basketball for several hours.
