Who Invented Basketball
The National Basketball Association, also known as the NBA, is comprised of teams from both the United States and Canada. When it comes to major professional basketball leagues, the NBA is a slam dunk. As an organization that many young athletes aspire to join, the National Basketball Association is one of both opportunity and strong competition.
Each year, the NBA holds a draft to decide which hopeful players will find their spot on a professional basketball team roster. Any athlete who is a high school graduate, is at least 17 years of age and has either relinquished or completed his collegiate basketball career by mid-May of the same year may participate in the NBA draft. Following team training camps, the regular NBA season begins in October or November, and is interrupted only once for the All-Star Game in February. Each year, NBA franchise teams look for the next Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal or Larry Bird through an extensive search of athletes from high school, college and minor league teams.
The Women's National Basketball Association, also known as the WNBA, is an organization that was brought about by the emerging popularity of women's basketball during the mid-90s. In 1996, the American Basketball League (ABL) was formed as the nation's only professional women's basketball league at the time. The following year, the WNBA was formed and soon became the major women's basketball league in America. In 1998, the ABL filed for bankruptcy and, as they say, the rest is history. The WNBA, which was developed by the NBA, currently hosts a number of franchise teams and some of the top female athletes in the nation.
Today, basketball fans are treated to events featuring talented athletes, immense competition and the naming of an annual championship team that serves as the league's top performer for the season. James Naismith, who is credited for having invented the sport of basketball, is honored as both a member and the namesake of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. As a physical education teacher, Naismith created basketball as an indoor sport for his students to enjoy during the cold winter months. It was this concept that would eventually lead to a professional sport that has introduced us to legends, brought us to the edge of our seats and continues to entertain us year after year.
Tips For Finding The Perfect Basketball Shoe
So what do I look for in a basketball shoe? I'm glad you asked. The most important factors are durability, support, traction, comfort and for most ballers, style.DURABILITY Have you ever seen the movie "Like Mike"? Lil Bow Wow plays an orphan boy who finds a pair of magic shoes with "MJ" written on the tongue. He suddenly has super bball skills. Anyway, in the most important game of the season "Calvin" drives the lane and gets fouled. When he gets up his magic shoes have completely fallen apart. Magic shoes or not you want to make sure that never happens to you. Buy quality shoes. And yes, sometimes that means paying a little more.
SUPPORT Different types of players require different types of support. Power players like "Shaq" need high tops with maximum ankle support and comfort. All-around players like "Kobe" or "T-Mac" usually will wear a midsole type of shoe and speedsters like "Iverson" wear low tops for light weight and non-restriction of the ankles.
TRACTION Have you ever played on the hardwood floor of a gym that didn't clean the floors? Your slipping, sliding away and it's hard to cut and slice your way to the hoop. Wearing the wrong shoes can have the some results. You must be able to stop and start on a dime. Look for good traction on both the forefoot and the heel.
COMFORT The goal is to find a basketball shoe that fits like a glove. You don't want your foot to be swimming in any area. Since the toes, arch and heel all have different needs for comfort, you want a shoe that provides comfort in each area and still provide the support you need for your type of game.
STYLE And, of course, you gotta look good on the court. Whether you're wearing the "Jordan Retro", the "T-Mac 5", the "Air Zoom Kobe I" or either of the "Answer 1 - 9" pair of shoes, style is definitely key.
The bottom line is you must think of your shoes as an investment in your game. If you're looking to excel, then don't cheat yourself when it comes to your gear, especially your shoes. The right pair will not only help you play at top level but most importantly help prevent injury. If you're hurt you can't play! So go get some quality kicks and get out there and play
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