I don't know concretely if it's due to superstition but any time a new rule is implemented into the NBA or a new piece of equipment or a new technology there is always a transition and adjustment period by players and coaches and anyone involved with the game.
Certainly anyone whom I've witnessed who has gone through something horrible and life-changing has a sense of ironic humor or an ability to look at the peculiarities of the world and find humor in it.
