Details regarding two step rule

Question

If a player is running and bouncing, is he allowed to catch the ball - for simplicity let's assume that he has both feet in the air through all the time interval whose beggining is marked by start of the catching and whose end is marked by the completion of gaining control of the ball - can he take two steps (by this I mean land with his foot A on the ground, and then - without moving the foot A - land with his foot B on the ground, effectively setting both feet on the ground) and then just stand like it, without releasing the ball at all?

The official FIBA rules, https://www.fiba.basketball/documents/official-basketball-rules.pdf, reads as follows:

"A player who catches the ball while he is progressing, or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball"

which almost explicitly says that what I described is legal. Yet, I ask this question because I've always been taught that after taking two steps as described above, the rules impose that it is necessary to pass or shoot. So, I'm interested if:

1) it used to be that releasing the ball was necessary under FIBA rules, but after the changes of travelling rules so they would be more similar to NBA, holding the ball (after two steps) became legal,
2) it was always legal and the enforcement of releasing the ball under FIBA rules was just a commonly taught misinterpretation,
3) in fact "coming to a stop" here is to be understood in some peculiar way and after taking two steps a player is still obliged to release the ball.

Also, I'd be grateful for answering the above questions in the NBA case, I know that the article concerning travel is largely (or completely) the same as in the FIBA case:

https://official.nba.com/rule-no-10-violations-and-penalties/ "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball."

but I'm not sure if I understand everything correctly, perhaps the accepted interpretation of these rules is peculiar.

Also, if stop (after two steps) is legal, then what are options for a player remaining in such a stop? Basing on my reading of rules, I'd suppose that a player can pivot with the foot A; lift the feet B; jump and release the ball with two feet. But I'd like to be sure.

Answer 1

25.2.1 Establishing a pivot foot by a player who catches a live ball on the playing court:
Second bullet point ...
• A player who catches the ball while he is progressing, or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball:
▬ If, after receiving the ball, a player shall release the ball to start his dribble before his second step.
▬ The first step occurs when one foot or both feet touch the floor after gaining control of the ball.
▬ The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the floor or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.

The bold emphasis after gaining control of the ball is mine, but key to this rule. The way the rule typically taught to refs is to treat the gather of the ball as step 0. IE placing 2 hands on the ball is linked to the zero step. Then After gathering the ball you get 2 steps. Your question said the player gathered control in the air. In most cases this gather in the air is treated as the zero step as soon as a foot hits the floor. The first grounding would be the 0 step. See video 4 about 1 min in, in slo mo. But if some managed to be in the air a long time with clearly 2 hands on the ball. A ref might see no zero step if the gather and zero step are too far apart.

1) it used to be that releasing the ball was necessary under FIBA rules, but after the changes of travelling rules so they would be more similar to NBA, holding the ball (after two steps) became legal,

YES that right.

What is allowed now: Pass, jump to shoot, lift his second foot and pivot on step 1. Easiest understood with videos.

A great example of what WAS a travel under FIBA rules but is NOW 100% legal
Video 2 Instructional video
Video 3 Rule explanations
Video 4 Another slow mo version to explain FIBA rule change 2017
If you still need convincing. This should clarify remaining doubts..