I was watching an NBA game on TV and the action (Team A vs Team B) was, basically:
Contested ball.
Player A ended up out of bounds, feet squarely out of bounds.
Player B couldn't control the ball and threw it at and off of the body of Player A and it hit the floor out of bounds. (Player A was already completely out of bounds.)
It was called in favor of Team B and out of bounds off of the Team A player.
IS THAT THE RULE THESE DAYS?
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We used to play that if Team A player throws the ball off of the Team B opponent who is standing IN BOUNDS and then it lands out of bounds, the last "touch" was by the in-bounds Team B guy and Team A gets the ball.
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If the Team B player is already out of bounds, he is part of the out of bounds, like a chair or a cheerleader or a ball boy. If the falling-down Team A player throws the ball off of a cheerleader, Team A loses the ball and possession passes to Team B.
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I hope that was clear. WHAT IS THE CURRENT RULE?
It was called correctly. A chair or a cheerleader are not part of the game and they are not allowed on the court. They are always supposed to be out of bounds, and therefore no different than hitting the floor. A player, on the other hand, is allowed and supposed to be on the court, aka in bounds. If he is out of bounds, he is able to move and come back in bounds, and in fact is supposed to do so. The real piece to understand is at which point is the ball out of bounds. When in the air, a ball is still considered in bounds. A player can jump from in bounds, so as long as he doesn't touch the ground, and fling the ball back in bounds, and that ball remains in play and is not out of bounds. Once the ball hits the ground, or another object (people included) it is out of bounds. In this case, the ball hitting he player is when it's first considered out of bounds. And, if that player is an active player who belongs in bounds, he simultaneously counts as the last person to touch the ball before it is deemed out of bounds.