Dribbling or dribbling is very important in basketball.
Basketball is a sport in which two teams of five players each compete. The objective is to introduce the ball (ball) into the hoop (basket or basket) of the opposing team , which is fixed to a board 3.05 meters high . For this reason, basketball (also called basketball or, in English, basketball ) is usually played by people of great stature .
However, we must not forget that for years there has also been another type of basketball that is played by people who have physical disabilities. It is a version for playing in a wheelchair , with practically the same rules as regular basketball, although with various adaptations.
basketball history
This game was invented by Canadian physical education teacher James Naismith in December 1891 . Naismith was looking to create an activity for young people to do in a closed gym during the winter.
This is how basketball was born, whose games currently last 40 minutes (four periods of 10 minutes each). The exception to this rule is the American league of the National Basketball Association (NBA) , considered the best in the world, whose games last 48 minutes (four 12-minute periods). It should be noted that there are several different rules between the NBA and the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) , the body that governs this sport internationally.
In both cases, once the second period or quarter has concluded, the break takes place, in which the players of both teams, along with the rest of the coaching staff, go to the locker room. Resting properly and planning new tactics to beat the opponent are two of the tasks that are carried out during this period of stoppage of the game, which usually lasts between 15 and 20 minutes.
The basketball uniform includes shoes, shorts and a t-shirt.
Regulatory measures and ball
Regarding measurements, it must be emphasized that the track , divided into two equal parts, must have dimensions of 15 meters wide by 28 meters long . It must have a central circle of 3.6 meters in diameter.
The ball , for its part, is orange, usually has black lines, must weigh between 600 and 800 grams and also has a diameter of approximately 24 centimeters.
Basketball Features
In basketball, the winning team is the one that scores the most points . As a match cannot end tied, in the event of a tie when regular time ends , extra time is played to break the tie. If said extra time ( overtime ) is also equal, there is another extra time and so on until a team manages to achieve victory.
Scores in basketball have different values. The most common is double (worth two points). When players shoot from behind a line that is 6.25 meters from the rim (7.24 meters in the NBA), the score is worth three points ( triple ). On the other hand, when a player receives a foul when shooting the hoop, he obtains the right to shoot from the foul line, without opposition. In this case of free throws , the score is only worth one point.
In basketball, a triple-double involves achieving double-digit statistics in three categories.
The positions
It is common for five positions to be recognized in basketball: point guard (also called point guard , guard or playmaker ), shooting guard , small forward , power forward and center (or center ). Although in theory each player occupies a position, in modern basketball the boundaries between each one are not so precise.
It is assumed, for example, that the point guard is the one who manages the rhythm of the possession and establishes what play will be executed. However, this function can also be performed by the forward or even the center. In turn, the center is expected to be the one who tries to capture the rebounds, although any player can do it.
It is important to know that, beyond position, all players fulfill roles in attack and defense . The coach is in charge of defining the strategies and tactics, rehearsed in training, but the development of the matches is dynamic. The analysis of statistics, in turn, can lead to modifications at any time.
It must be considered that, in basketball, changes are unlimited. This means that, although there are five players that make up the starting quintet , rotation is frequent. Even a substitute can accumulate more minutes played than a starter at the end of the game.
best basketball players
The debate about the best players in basketball history is common, as in other sports. Beyond subjectivity, the list usually includes athletes who, in the NBA , obtained recognition as MVP (Most Valuable Player) , shone in the playoffs or in the finals, won several championships, were part of the All-Star Game ( All -Star ) or are part of the Hall of Fame . At the international level, performance in the national team is generally considered, with important performances in the Basketball World Cup and the Olympics.
The Americans Michael Jordan , LeBron James , Kobe Bryant , Larry Bird , Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , for example, are considered by many journalists and fans among the best basketball players in history thanks to their championship rings and their notorious talent.
Expert word
The Spanish Carlos Jiménez is the author of the book "History of Basketball in Spain" and responsible for the documentary "Destroying Craig" (about former NBA player Craig Hodges ). He was also co-founder of the Solobasket portal and collaborated with Jot Down Magazine .
We talked with Carlos about the past and present of international basketball and the NBA :
– What do you think of current basketball in terms of level of play? Do you think there is an improvement or a setback compared to other times?
Like everything in life, there are positive and negative things. I think that basketball today is much more professionalized than before, there are many more resources on technological issues, whether for individual or collective improvement. Maybe I'm a romantic: in my opinion, basketball now is sometimes seen as very constricted, very systematic. A lot of abuse in Europe of the pick and roll, abuse of the three-pointer and little mid-distance shooting, for example. There are few point guards who decide freely, many times they are very subject to some coaches, who are the ones who call the plays from the sideline, right? I would tell you that on an international level.
In the NBA what I see is that the toughness of the game has gone down a lot. In the 80s, and not just because of the Bad Boys, the games were a war. You just have to watch the All Stars, it's something quite symptomatic: those matches today are a lot of highlights, maybe it's interesting as a product, because you put a little piece in and there's no time for more. They make some plays, some defenseless dunks, and in the end what you see is the action, but I think that those who really like basketball, like the game a little harder.
Carlos Jimenez
– Do you think FIBA basketball is far or close to the NBA? What are the main differences you find?
FIBA basketball was, or still is, closer than ever to the NBA. The players of that Argentine generation that won gold in the Olympics, such as Carlos Delfino, Andrés Nocioni and Manu Ginóbili, who had the physiques of black players but with European technique, were pioneers in putting a brutal physique on the table. And now it's easier to see it that way. In fact, because the talents immediately leave for the United States and begin, and more so now with the universities, to get into the gym and they no longer stop working on their physique.
So, in that aspect we have gotten closer, but I also think we are moving away again in terms of the fact that salaries in the NBA have skyrocketed. Not only in the NBA, even in universities. So, with any young player, and not so young, it is impossible to compete financially with the NBA. What's happening? In the end the best ones are there. In Europe it is very difficult to maintain talent, Europe in the end is a producer that continues to reinvent itself and release talent, but I think we are very unequal with the United States on economic issues.
Carlos Jimenez
– Who is, in your opinion, the best player in the history of basketball? Reasons?
To define the best player in history, I think the only way to evaluate him would be to compare him with the players of his era. For example, Michael Jordan was superlative, even if you compared him to great players like Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone or David Robinson, who were impressive players, but he was above in the mentality and technique equation. He also had an impressive physique, although there were many high-level players who had it similar to his. But not that they have exhibited that combination of mentality, technique and knowledge of the game, back and forth. So I still think that the best in history is Michael Jordan, I'm a float.
Carlos Jimenez