In another thread I noted that Kobe changed his pivot foot about three times in escaping a trap in game 6. I've noticed that Manu actually puts the ball under his arm like a running back when going to the hole.
The odd part is that the refs routinely call traveling on guys who take a quick first step when starting a drive, but rarely call them once into the lane. Ironically, when they do call them it is often because the defender has pushed the guy which throws him off stride.
My guess is that the refs are too focused on making sure the defender is outside the circle to watch the offensive players' feet, but it does seem to be an area where the refs give stars special treatment.