Basketball – Part 1 Basketball is one of my favorite sports. So I figured I would write about it. The sport was put together by a Canadian by the name of James Naismith. The game has evolved quite a lot from the days of its creation, as does everything else.
The game is not as complicated as some people think it is. Two teams, each consisting of five players, hit the court to play each other. The overall objective is to get the ball from your team’s half of the court to the opposition’s half of the court, and then put the ball into the basket / hoop. Each team has five players, and each one occupies one of the following positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, or center.
The point guard is often the “shortest” player on the team – usually under 6 foot 4. He/she is the “general” of the team. They are in charge of running plays, and the ball is often in their hands as they are the ones with the best ball handling skills and court vision. They dish out assists, and score as well. The shooting guards, as the name suggests, tend to be the best shooters on the team. They often stand at a height of between 6 foot 4 and 6 foot 7. They too can handle the ball quite well, but their main job is to shoot the lights out – mostly at the three-point line.
The small forwards are probably the most versatile players on a team. Their tasks are more varied – they have to dribble well, shoot well, attack the basket well, defend well, assist well, and more. More often than not, they are one of the best players on a team because of this versatility. They are often 6 foot 8/9. The power forward and centers are the biggest/tallest players on the team – over 6 foot 9. Their tasks are similar, with the exception that the power forward is more mobile and versatile. Centers (the absolute biggest people on a team) tend to be in charge of defending the basket, rebounds and
layups/dunks because of their size. Power forwards are also great defenders, rebounders, and finishers at the rim, but they move around and shoot more than the centers do.
To be continued in a future post.