This caused made NBA games intense beyond belief because players developed rivalries, trash-talked, and actually competed; which the fans loved. David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, however, did not like this. He thought players were getting into too many fights and that their safety was in jeopardy so he banned hand checking from the NBA. If a player hand checks another player it is called as a technical foul, which results in the other team getting the ball and shooting a free throw. Another important rule which changed the NBA forever was five-second rule or violation. If an offensive player, that either has or does not have the ball, is in the paint for five seconds, it is an automatic turnover. This killed the dominant age of the centers and shook the foundation of the NBA's style of gameplay. By adding so many new rules the NBA has changed the players. Players today cannot play hard, physical defense so certain players pretend that other players use too much force and draw a foul from the referees; this is called "flopping". These players have found ways to use the rules to their advantage and help win games. This is one reason they are called soft; because they can't play as physically. Players in the league of NBA today may be called "soft" but physically, they are rock solid.
A player's build can say a lot about the way they play. According to an article written by Brian Mackenzie, "[s]uccess as an athlete comes from a combination of athletic ability and our body build. (brianmac.co.uk). " the terms ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph [are used to] describe the body build of an individual." (brianmac.co.uk). The body type that describes a majority of players in today's era is the mesomorph. A mesomorph, who excels in strength, agility, and speed, is someone who has "a wedge body shape, a cubical head, wide broad shoulders, muscled arms and legs, narrow hips, [and] a minimum amount of fat.