Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

Basketball: A Filipino Addiction

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

There’s no other country in Asia that has a much richer history in basketball than the Philippines. This country located in the Southeast area of Asia has had its fair share of international basketball history. Philippine teams have been competing internationally ever since the early years of basketball. With the Filipino greats like Larry Mumar and the ‘Big Difference’ Caloy Loyzaga, the country has gained international recognition and has taken several medals and championships along the way.

Ever since the Americans introduced the sport to Filipinos, through their YMCA programs, the country never failed to waver for their love for basketball. Until today, it can be evidently seen how Filipinos crave for basketball and embrace it. Having the 2nd oldest basketball professional league in the world, next to the NBA, the Philippine Basketball Association is a league that the country takes pride on. This local professional league has served well and has produced such incredible talents throughout the years, forming legends that became household names of today.

How much does the Filipino people love basketball? Well, you can see it during game days especially during college games. The Araneta Coliseum, the once largest domed structure in Asia, gets sold out during game days. By the way, this was also the place where Ali and Frazier’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ took place. Imagine the ‘Big Dome’ crowded with almost 20,000 people, that’s how crazy this country is of basketball. Another proof of how crazed Filipinos are of basketball is the youth. Most of the kids in the Philippines dream to make it big in the professional league, which is the PBA, or at least even play at college level.

Majority of the kids in the Philippines watch basketball in television more than any other sport. There was once a point in time where one can see almost every street with a basketball court. Roads are sometimes even closed just to give way to the people playing basketball in the streets. One more crazed evidence is seen on how Filipinos welcome NBA players in the country. When an NBA player comes to the country, the area just goes berserk and die hard fans flock through the malls or the coliseums that the player goes to. The NBA players are like rock stars in the Philippines. You can’t blame the people, it’s rare that they see their idols in person. That’s how basketball is embraced in the country.

NBA games are also very admired by the people. Most people know the players and one can’t find it surprising that so many people know about the players and the game itself. That’s how Filipinos love basketball so much. The NBA games, especially the playoffs and the Finals series shown on TV are one of the most talked about topics of discussion in a typical group of Filipinos.

So why basketball? Ask that to almost any Filipino and he or she will always have an answer for you. This sport is just so embraced in the country that soccer almost seems to look like virtually unseen or unfelt. That’s what makes the Philippines unique, the country is such a basketball-crazed country and they won’t be ashamed of that. What’s to be ashamed of, the country holds almost all the basketball golds in the Southeast Asian Games, the country also has the PBA, the second oldest professional basketball league, and Filipinos know a good basketball game when they see one.

James Brown writes about Pro Sports Memorabilia web code, Fathead web code and FansEdge.com web code

Youth Basketball Coaching

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
by Gary Pearson

A few years ago my wife and I decided that we needed something to do during the week to get us away from the dreaded boob tube. After hearing on our local news about the lack of after school activities for local kids we decided we’d try getting involved. We ended up coaching youth basketball.

Even if you have no training or history when it comes to coaching basketball you can still do this. There are many charity groups who will help give you a hand. All you need is a few hours a week and a patient attitude with kids and you will do great.

Many of the kids we coach would have nothing to do after school without us. Driven by boredom or peer pressure they could start doing drugs or committing crimes. This may seem a bit of a stretch but it’s a fact that kids who are not involved in organized activities are more likely to start doing illicit activities. Since many communities do not have the funding for such programs it is often up to local volunteers like us to fill in the gaps.

I do not know why my work in youth basketball coaching has done so much for kids, but they have told me all about it themselves. It is really true. I have one kid - Mikey - who joined about when I started youth basketball coaching. Before he joined the team, Mikey was bad news. He had a mother with a drug problem and was getting in to drugs himself. He had friends who were very bad influences. It was kids like Mikey who made me decide to volunteer for youth basketball coaching in the first place.

I did not know much about youth basketball coaching when I first got into it. I did not even have any training. I had to watch youth basketball coaching videos, and hustle to prepare for my first day as a coach. But boy was it worth it. I crammed in all of those coaching aids, and soon I was directing the team like a pro. Now that I am good at youth basketball coaching, I’ll tell you a secret. With youth basketball coaching, it does not matter where you start, as long as you persist.

About the Author:

Vertical Jump: Defying Gravity Or Just A Myth?

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

The vertical jump is quite possibly one of the most sought-after abilities in any sport and by every athlete. You may wonder why the vertical jump is held in such high esteem by people ranging from backyard ballers to NFL combine coaches.

But if you had a bit more back ground knowledge of what a powerful vertical jump entails, you would be less than amazed by the impressive respect the vertical jump demands on the court and the field.

So what is in a vertical jump and why is it such a sought after attribute of athleticism?

The vertical jump is a mixture of raw power, speed, agility and grace. The vertical jump not only requires tremendous muscular power, but it also requires the neural ability to put this power to good use.

This means that the average guy who has strong legs would not necessarily have a huge vertical unless he knows how to coordinate and apply his muscular strength efficiently.

So, how come the vertical jump is considered such a valid measure of athletic potential? Simply put, it is because if someone can jump high, that means they have massive explosive strength.

Explosive strength is the same type of strength that allows someone to run fast, accelerate fast, throw far and kick hard.

This is why the vertical jump is one of the most common tests of athleticism used in professional sports. How can you increase the vertical leap?

Since there are a number of factors that lead to a massive vertical, the most effective way to increase the vertical leap is by addressing these factors one by one.

As you increase each attribute required to propel the body into the air, your vertical will increase.

If you can balance these aspects, you will absolutely defy gravity! The main factors are relative strength, plyometric ability, and speed (or explosive) strength.

Relative strength is your strength to weight ratio. This means being strong for your size.

The stronger you are in relation to your weight, the more power you will be able to apply towards letting your center of gravity leave the floor.

Plyometric ability refers to the efficiency at which your body stores and redirects energy. This means that you are able to take force from a run up and use it to cock your tendons like springs.

This will release them at just the right moment and send your body flying into the air. This type of strength can be augmented by something known as plyometrics.

When making a vertical jump, it is not enough to be super strong. You need to be able to apply this strength in under one second.

This means that you need to teach your muscles to utilize as much power as possible in as small a period of time as possible.

This is augmented most effectively through Olympic lifts. Most Olympic lifters have vertical jumps in excess of three feet without doing any jump training what so ever.

If you can figure out a way to increase these aspects of strength, you will be well on your way to a massive vertical.

A great vertical jump program will maximize these three aspects and send your vertical leap through the roof!

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Best Vertical Jump and strives to assist others identify with their current physique through informative reviews. You are invited to visit Best Vertical Jump to read his most recent article review.

Five Best Nba Point Guards

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

He is the one who dictates the tone of the game and their respective teams as well. The point guard is the extension of the coach of the team. Without great point guards, a team would definitely be having a hard time executing their plays. In the National Basketball Association, there have been so many point guards who have come and gone through the years but there is the top 5 among the rest. These top 5 players have been the best among all of the point guards who played the game.

5) Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy was one of the instrumental players in the Boston dynasty. His great style of play and inspiring ball-handling skills have made him a household name. He has been constantly incorporated with the word success due to his individual feats and his numerous rings with the Boston Celtics. Without Bob Cousy, definitely that Boston Team might have not formulated and sustained their dynasty during the 50s-60s. He was a 13 time all star. He was also named 1957 NBA Most Valuable Player which collectively earned him a spot at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

4) John Stockton

Who would ever disregard John Stockton? He was one of the best point guards ever due to his deceptive style of play which makes the opposing teams guessing on what his next move will be. His style of play is as intelligent as it could be. His famous tandem with Karl Malone has been one of the most notable tandems in the history of the NBA. Stockton-Malone was the constant phrase in every Utah Jazz game. He was a 10-time NBA All Star. He was one of the all-time greats who never won an NBA ring.

3) Isiah Thomas

A 12-time NBA All-Star, Isiah Thomas was a member of the Detroit Team who won 2 consecutive championships in 1989 and 1990. He was the 1990 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Isiah was a superb point-guard who could control a game at will. He could furiously score and he can pass the ball very well. His slick moves and his clutch plays in the playoffs have made him a very memorable NBA player.

2) Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson was one the true all-time greats. He was one of the elite of all the elite. His moniker ‘the Big O’ definitely came from his great game. He could lead the team. He can score at will. He can move his way into the paint and make plays that no one ever dared to do during his time. He was one of the very first versatile players of the NBA. At one year, he even averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. ‘The Big O’ has indeed cemented his name in the history of the game.

1) Magic Johnson

Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 12-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, 5-time NBA champion and a place in the basketball Hall of Fame, these accolades can only be attributed to the great Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. He’s the only point guard who can play all five positions and dominate. His charisma and greatness, along with his big smile has made him truly one of the best.

James Brown writes about Fathead deals, Pro Sports Memorabilia deals and Upper Deck Store deals

Basketball: Learn Your Moves

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

It would be pretty boring to watch a basketball game with no interesting moves at all. As we all may know, basketball is a game where players can learn different moves whether as a strategy or simple moves to give the crowd excitement. But here are common moves that we often times see during a basketball game not because players want to impress the crows but because it is part of the real thing. These are four common ones that will ensure the accuracy of the player’s shots.

One, jump shot is one of the very common moves we see when we watch any basketball game whether local or international or whether amateur league or professional league. It is simply just present and every player knows how to do this. This shot is done while the player jumps up and in the air. In other words, you release the ball from your hands while you are in the air and not otherwise. If you still hold the ball when your feet touch the ground, then it is considered traveling already or an error. Players can take advantage over an opponent during the elevation process especially if it is one of the mismatched one meaning, you are taller than the one guarding you but is also a disadvantage if otherwise.

Two, layup shot is the second most common basketball move in any basketball game. More often than not we see this during a fast break which means you bringing down the ball on the front court with no one guarding you. This shot as I have said is made when you are in motion, well not necessarily fast breaks but when you are on the move. It is done when the player runs toward the basket, jumps and shoots the ball while on the air. Personally, I find it very easy if I use the back board to aid me during layups because it ensures direct to the hoop ball and usually the player shots from either side of the board.

Three, set shot is the third most common shot we see. This shot is made while the player is on his feet standing. Usually we see this when nobody is guarding the player hence the name set shot. This means that when somebody was left unguarded and receives the ball in a pass. You can often distinguish this as a shot made by players who are completely relaxed and at ease with their shooting. They seem to gain momentum first before releasing the ball unto the air. This shot is also probably the one being taught first by coaches. However, it is noteworthy to mention that this is one shot being made during free throws.

Four, slam dunk is the last among common shooting moves during a game. But not every player can do this especially those who can not jump higher or are physically limited by their height. Most point guards could not do this shot. However, you can see this among centers and forwards. This is also the most exciting move people love to watch all the time.

James Brown writes about Final Score coupon, DicksSportingGoods.com coupon and ShoeMall coupon

The Secrets To Your Best Vertical Leap

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Would you like to defy gravity? Have you ever watched an NBA basketball game and wondered what it feels like to sail over your opponents only to slam down a dunk over one of the defenders heads?

If you are like other fans, you know that one of the most majestic moves in basketball is the alley-oop and the dunk. Both of these are impossible to perfect without massive air time.

The key to getting huge air is a powerful vertical jump that can allow you to reach the very limits of your potential in terms of athleticism. So, if you want to increase your vertical, how can you do it and what does it take?

First, in order to understand how to increase your vertical jump, you need to understand what it consists of. There are two types of vertical jump. One relies predominantly on brute strength to propel the jumper into the air.

The other relies on tendon reflexes and stored energy. The first type is usually seen in people who jump off of two legs, and the second is usually seen in people who jump off of one leg. Some people use a mix of the two, and they can be seen to lead into a jump with a few steps only to hit the ground with both feet before exploding upward.

The key difference between the two types of jump is the source of the acceleration. In the first type, something known as speed strength is what allows the jumper to contract his muscles hard and synchronously to propel his/her body into the air. These types of jumpers usually have very powerful, muscular legs.

They can increase their jumping ability by increasing their relative strength and speed strength. These two types of strength are most effectively augmented through squats and dead lifts; and Olympic lifts respectively.

The second type of jumper relies on stored kinetic energy in his tendons to send his both flying. You will notice that this type of jumper usually has a sizable run-up before leaving the ground and their legs are amazingly skinny considering their jumping ability.

This type of jumper actually uses their tendons as elastic springs which they load with energy by bounding into their final step, then reversing direction suddenly and exploding into the air. This type of jumper can increase their abilities by increasing their limit strength as well as their plyometric abilities. Plyometric abilities are the ability to store and release kinetic energy at will.

Depending on what type of jumper you are, you will benefit from one type of training more than the other simply because you need to address your bodys particular way of jumping. This can be found out simply by going into a jump naturally and taking note of what technique you use. With proper knowledge of what type of strength you have and what you need to improve, you can make massive gains on your vertical jumping abilities.

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Best Vertical Jump and strives to assist others identify with their current physique through informative reviews. You are invited to visit Best Vertical Jump to read his most recent article review.

Mavericks Fall Short Against The Bulls

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

It appeared the Dallas Mavericks were going to beat the Chicago Bulls again in the preseason. It turns out their fate was not so predictable.

After the first half the Mavs were up by 16. One would think you really can’t lose a lead like that. But then in the third quarter the Bulls matched their scoring point for point.

Derrick Rose was really impressive as he scored thirty points! This was after coming off the bench. He also had seven assists. He is definitely going to be worth the 4.8 million dollar salary he is making. Great choice by the Bulls as he was able to guard and handle the ball against elite point guards like Jason Kidd and Jason Terry.

Another impressive player was Gerald Green. People in the audience were saying “who” when he was announced in the lineup. This is his first year with the Mavs and that is to be expected. But he put up fantastic numbers with 19 points and 2 rebounds. He also had a block and a steal to top it off. He may become a starter before you know it.

Dirk Nowitzki played like the all-star he is and had 26 points and 7 rebounds. Josh Howard also played well with 18 points and seven rebounds.

The Mavs again were struggling at the free throw line. They were shooting 52 percent, which is not acceptable in the NBA. The Bulls on the other hand were shooting 81 percent from the charity stripe. That easily could have made the difference in the game.

The Mavericks started taking out their best players in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Which was probably too soon. The problem was Derrick Rose was scoring at will and bringing his team back. Luol Deng was also scoring a lot alongside his teammates. Then Andres Nocioni started catching fire from the three point line. That is how comebacks start. I know it is preseason, but you want your team to work on closing out ball games.

There were also some missed calls by the refs. Dick Vivetta missed a crucial foul with minutes to go that would have given the Mavs to sorely needed baskets. Instead the turnover led to points on the other side. I seriously believe Dick Vivetta has it out for the Mavericks, as every game he has been in with them, they seem to lose ninety percent of the time.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Mavericks Fall Short Against The Bulls.

Lebron James the Best Player in the NBA

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Lebron James has the dribbling skills of a point guard and the physical grit of a power forward. He can dunk from almost the free throw line, and also drain the threes. There are few players in that category in the NBA. Kevin Garnett may be in that small list. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson would be they are retired.

He was drafted out of high school and paid 90 million dollars for a Nike shoe contract. He was one of the last great players to be drafted straight from High School since the created the 19 year old/one year in college rule.

Lebron carried his team to the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. They lost but that is to be expected when your teammates aren’t there for you. He is the main talent, he doesn’t have a Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, or Tony Parker to help him. In the Eastern Conference Finals he carried his team against the Pistons. He scored 50 points in one game to keep them alive.

He has been wanting a trade to Dallas or New York, but neither deal went threw. It seems no one has enough cap room to pay for him. He would easily win a ring in Dallas or Chicago, but no such luck. He better hope he gets some better talent around him. He can ask Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett about that miserable feeling. Just look at what happened once Garnett got surrounded by stars-a championship that’s what!

I mean this guy took his team to the playoffs in his third year with the Cavaliers. He was averaging 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assist in the playoffs that year. Talk about earning your money’s worth.

James will get a better point guard this year in Mo Williams. Mo was averaging 17.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game last year. If he can keep those stats up and dish it to James enough, the team will be doing much better. They still have Ben Wallace on defense to scoop up the boards. They could still use a better shooting guard because Sacha Pavlovic is not very good. They could trade both draft picks for an good shooting guard like Mike Miller from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I think the Cavaliers will get to the Eastern Conference Finals again this year. It will take a lot of grit and determination to get past the Boston Celtics, who are looking to repeat from last year.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Super Media Blog and this article at Lebron James the Best Player in the NBA.

Basketball Uniforms: A Sign Of The Times

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

I find the ongoing evolution of basketball uniforms to be highly amusing. People always comment about how skirt hems go up and down, how waistbands rise and fall; but few people seem to notice the amazing regularity with which basketball uniforms undergo change to accommodate the accepted fashion trends. If people are wearing tight clothes, basketball uniforms become formfitting. If baggy is in, basketball shorts reach to the players’ knees. I can think of no other sport in which the uniform makes such a fashion statement and moves so much with the clothing trends of the era.

A basketball uniform is a very simple ensemble, at least in its basic composition. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. Players’ numbers are emblazoned on the backs and fronts of the jerseys.

Basketball has existed as a sport, at least rudimentarily, for over 100 years, making it a fairly young pastime. The uniform of basketball, as described above, is more basic and less specialized than those of most other professional sports. As a result, it is much easier for basketball uniforms to reflect the fashion trends of any given era. When basketball was first established, circa 1890, very few clothing existed that was specifically designed for physical activity. Hence, many players simply wore the pants and shirts they used in everyday life. It was not until the 1920s that the essence of the basketball uniform was established. Photos from this era show young men in shorts that come to their mid-thighs and formfitting sleeveless jerseys. This formula became the basis for all future basketball uniforms.

In accordance with the styles of the times, basketball uniforms remained fairly tight all through the 1980s. The jerseys were formfitting and the shorts came to somewhere between the mid- and upper-thigh, depending on the decade. However, in the 1990s, basketball uniforms underwent a dramatic transformation. Suddenly, basketball players were running around in shorts hung all the way down to their knees. The jerseys became looser and longer too, adding to the overall effect of bagginess. At the same time, “sagging” became extremely fashionable among some young men. This trend involved wearing pants and short below the waistline, making them appear longer. Although “sagging” was not realistic on the basketball court (because one’s shorts might come off), the basketball uniforms of the era adapted to reflect the fashion of the times.

Since the inception of sagging and generally larger men’s clothes, basketball uniforms have remained relatively loose. The uniforms of the 21st century form a stark contrast to those worn in the early 19th. However, considering the nature of the fashion industry, there will again come a time when men are expected to wear more formfitting apparel in everyday life; when that time comes, I would predict that basketball uniforms will follow suit.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, basketball uniforms, sports clothing, and model motorcycles.

Dallas Mavericks Stomp the Washington Wizards

Monday, October 13th, 2008

The Mavericks are looking as dominate as ever as they closed out the Washington Wizards last night. I was at this game, which was the first game of the preseason. The first quarter was close because the Mavs were having way too much trouble shooting their free throws. I think they were 1-20 in the first quarter, (just guessing). Even Dirk Nowitzki was missing from the charity stripe. The Mavs shot 53 percent as a team vs Washington who was shooting 82 percent. They can’t keep that up if they want to be NBA champs.

Antwan Jamison went down in the first quarter with a sprained knee injury. Jamison was actually a former Maverick during the 03-04 season coincidentally. Also, John Hollinger of ESPN wrote during his Player Efficiency Ratings that “His(Jamison) game has held up very well the past few years, he never gets hurt..”. If you don’t believe in jinxing people, it’s time to start. The Wizards had also just given Jamison a 50 million dollar extension on his contract, I’m sure they’d like part of that back now. For the Wizards, having Jamison and Gilbert Arenas out for the game devastated their lineup. Although the Mavericks were likely to win it is good that they didn’t play down to their opponents as they sometimes do. They pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back.

Brandon Bass was surprisingly dominate with 17 points and three rebounds which is higher than his 8.3 points per game average of last year. DeSagana Diop is back in Dallas and contributed 7 rebounds and three blocks. His defense is much appreciated in Big D. Dirk had 17 points as well as 7 boards. Jason Kidd played well with 7 assists and 6 points. Caron Butler of the Wizards had 11 points. A lesser known player Andray Blatche had 18 points and 5 rebounds.

Some of the Mavs younger players are stepping it up to get playing time. Antoine Wright played considerably well racking up 9 points, 3 steals, 4 assists and 2 rebounds. He should see more playing time as well as J.J. Barea who played excellent at guard and did not turn the ball over.

I don’t get why we are paying 10.5 million to Eric Dampier. Is there no one else we can find at the post position? He plays soft defense 9/10 games he plays. He looks like a powerhouse but plays like the Easter Bunny. I would trade him in a heartbeat.

In the fourth quarter the Mavs were up by as much as 36! The Mavs were very quick and all the gears were moving well. Washington might have to start worrying with their two biggest stars out. They may need to trade some draft picks for some decent players.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Super Media Blog and this article at Mavericks Stomp Wizards.

How Do You Get Instant Massive Basketball Exposure?

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

How do you get massive exposure and get some of the top college and pro recruits beating down your door and filling your mailbox full of scholarships and contracts? Great question. And It’s not as hard as you think!

I have always said and believed that the greatest basketball player in the world will do nothing unless the right people, and I mean the right people know of him. You see,one of the most important aspects of basketball (exposure) has been completely neglected for centuries. THEY ALWAYS SAY JUST GO PLAY ON A TRAVEL TEAM AND YOU WILL GET NOTICED. You have a better shot at making a full court, behind the back, with a blind fold shoot! While travel teams will help, most of the scouts that attend the games already have an idea of who they are looking for, most of the time they are there because they know one or two of the players and are just checking up on how there ” merchandise” is doing.

I have a better, more productive way of getting massive exposure and having your name spreading like wild fire to thousands of coaches, scouts and teams.

Would you like to know the secrets responsible for getting over a hundered college scolarships? Here is my step-by-step basketball exposure system for attracting hundreds of college recruiters and coachs.

One of the easiest, but most effective ways you can get scouts and recruits knowing of you and attending all your games is by contacting them. That’s’ right, contacting them.

But there is a system you have to follow. Here is the system: First you have to really know what your game is like, what you do great and what you do horrible. What is your niche…ask your coach, other coaches, teammates, parents, get as much info as you can.

Then you need to do some research. Go on the Web and start looking at different schools and teams, see what there roster is like, and see all the years the players have been there. This is a great way for you to secretively find out what that team is looking for, and what they are interested in.

Let’s use an example: If you are a point guard, that is small, but has a lot of skills like you can really shoot the ball, dribble under control and pressure and have a low turnover to assist ratio, and you find a team where their starting point guard is in his last year, and they had a high average of turnovers last year, and their reserve point guard isn’t all that good. Then you found a goldmine. You are exactly what that team needs and is looking for!

But now if that team has three guards, that were High School All Americans, and none of them are higher then sophomores, then you better move on… they already have your spot filled!

This is what I call being “Pro Active”… it is the difference between playing hard and playing smart. It is also the difference between most of the players that get scholarships, and most of the ones that end up sitting at home, watching ESPN.

So now you know that that team need someone like you,
now you can begin contacting them. Start researching some teams, and start asking coaches, trainers, players and parents what they think of you game so you can get progress report to use when researching those teams.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Top Five Legendary Nba Players

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

The National Basketball Association has produced so many talents and almost every era showcases different superstars. Through the years, there has been a constant flow of great players that leave their marks in the world of basketball. These players are the epitome of greatness and role models of present and future basketball stars. This top 5 is composed of National Basketball Association players that have become household names due to their talents, skills and overall fame. Without these 5 NBA players, the game of basketball might have never been the same. Let’s star it off with a countdown from number 5.

5) Larry Bird

The greatness of Larry “Legend” Bird can be described in two words, Celtic Pride. He indeed played with great pride but nonetheless, he played the game with intelligence and skill. He ran the system of Boston to perfection and he became a great passer, a great rebounder and also an unparalleled shooter. Larry’s fame started out during college where he and his famous rival Magic Johnson started out as fierce competitors. Carrying it through the NBA, Larry and Magic’s rivalry has been one of the most widely revered rivalry of all time. Not only did the Boston-Los Angeles rivalry lived on, but the Magic-Larry rivalry has also become one for the ages. Larry earned championships with the Celtics and he also won many 3-point shoot-out contest, making him as one of the best pure shooters ever.

4) Magic Johnson

We can’t talk about Larry Bird without mentioning Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Magic was the leader of the 1980s showtime Lakers. His versatility inside the court has made him a very beloved player in the NBA, along with his big smile. Magic can play any position assigned to him, from point guard up to the center spot, he can pay it all. But what makes Magic different from everyone is his unique passing skills and keen eye inside the court. He has won championships with Lakers and has been a perennial all-star as well.

3) Jerry West

Jerry West’s greatness during the 1960s can be easily attributed to his skills and talent inside the court. His prolific scoring and well-balanced play has made him one of the greatest to ever play the game. He was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” because he was the usual guy who would deliver every time during crunch time. Jerry West is truly one of the best legends who ever played the game.

2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar played the game of basketball in a very long time and he was able to rack-up many different records. He holds different scoring and rebounding records that still hold up until today. His patented skyhook cemented him as one of the best centers to ever play inside the paint. Kareem’s greatness can be arguably incomparable to any center. His presence helped the Lakers win many championships during the 80s.

1) Michael Jordan

For everyone who witnessed Michael Jordan’s prime, no one will ever doubt that he was the greatest basketball player who ever played the game. He revolutionized the game of basketball and he made the whole world fall in love with it. MJ’s greatness cam simply make you speechless. His acrobatic shots, slamdunk championship trophies, 6 NBA titles, Olympic gold medal and everything in between says it all. Michael Jordan is the best player ever period.

James Brown writes about Pro Sports Memorabilia key code, FansEdge.com key code and Fathead key code

Top Five Basketball Centers Of All Time

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Have you ever wondered who are the best among the best with regards to basketball? Have you compared your top 10 players to anyone? Well this article is going to help you out on seeking the top 10 elite basketball players of all time. Their genres may not have been at a single specific time but their greatness amass almost every audience whether past or present. Take a deep look at the top 10. Let’s make it a countdown to be more exciting.

5) Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon

There’s no other center who delivered finesse and strength all at the same time than Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon. His footwork is incomparable and his thousand moves under the basket has become an inspiration to centers. His mid-range shooting makes him as lethal as well. Ever since college basketball, Hakeem has made himself a powerful force. His greatness is reflected in his success in college and in the NBA as well. He won 2 consecutive championship rings with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

4) Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq has been one of the most versatile athletes of all time. He can rap, he can act and he definitely can dunk over anyone. Shaq’s brute strength has made him a powerful presence and the most dominating center of this generation. Since his early inception in the NBA, he has been a brutal center that never backs down to any defender. He had also won 4 championship rings, 3 with the Los Angeles Lakers and 1 with the Miami Heat.

3) Bill Russell

Bill Rusell won championships more than any other center in the history of the NBA. His storied career is best described by the championship banners that hang in the rafters of the Boston Garden. He was one of the key instrumental players that assisted the Boston on building their dynasty in the 1960s together with Bob Cousy and all the other Celtic greats. His presence in the paint made it harder for the other teams to score and only one player stood his ground against this Celtic great.

2) Wilt Chamberlain

Well, that one player who was mentioned a while ago, is Wilt Chamberlain. His fierce rivalry with Bill Russell made the NBA more exciting than ever during those times. The greatness of Wilt is reflected in his dominance under the basket. There’s no other player who had done what he did in one game. He scored 100 points in a single game. Until today, that record is still holding up, even though Kobe Bryant had an 81 point performance recently. This record set by Wilt may never be accomplished ever again. Wilt Chamberlain was the epitome of the true center, his power, defense, offense and everything in between makes him truly one of the elite players in the history of the game.

1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ever wondered why Kareem is in number 1? Well, he had won many championship rings, he had set scoring records and his skyhook is probably the most famous move ever attributed to a center. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s greatness has been evident through all the years that he had played in the league. Ever since with the Bucks until with the Lakers, he had played each and every year as well as good as he can. His scoring records still holds up until today and no other center has topped his achievements. He was a very significant player with the 1980s showtime Lakers. Truly, Kareem is one of the best and his greatness is just truly evident every game that he played.

James Brown writes about FansEdge.com promotion code, NBAStore.com promotion code and Prep Sportswear promotion code

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Vertical Leap

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Do you feel like you are stuck to the ground? Have you ever dreamed of dunking on someone or blocking the shot of the tallest guy on the other team?

All these dreams are possible and they all involve vertical jumping ability. If you can increase your vertical jump, you will be able to accomplish athletic feats you only dreamed of, like spiking a volleyball and dunking a basketball.

Believe it or not, with extra explosive power that comes with an increased vertical, you will even run and accelerate faster! So the question is, how can you increase your vertical and what exactly does it take to get consistent results?

There are a few major factors at work during a vertical jump. Once you understand what it takes to leave the ground behind you, you will know which training regimens will be the most effective. It has been found that the height of a vertical jump is directly related to the acceleration of the center of gravity when the feet are last touching the ground.

In other words, the faster your body is moving upward when your feet leave the ground, the higher your vertical jump. What does it take to increase the speed of your center of gravity? There are a few major factors involved including relative strength and reactive strength.

Relative strength is your personal strength-to-weight ratio. Who do you think will jump higher, a power-lifter who weighs in at 300 lbs and can squat 800 pounds, or an Olympic lifter who weights in at 150 lbs but can squat 450 lbs? If you guessed the Olympic lifter, you are right! But why is this true?

It is true because the Olympic lifter can squat three times his bodyweight. Although the power lifter can squat almost twice as much as the Olympic lifter, when the power lifter wants to jump he has to propel all 300 lbs of his body upward. The power lifter is built like a rhino and while super strong, we all know a grasshopper jumps much higher than a rhino.

It is all about strength-to-weight ratio, or relative strength. So how do you increase it? You increase it by either losing weight or becoming stronger. You can rapidly increase your relative strength through dead lifts and squats.

The next piece of the huge vertical puzzle is called reactive strength, or Plyometric ability. Have you ever seen those guys who are as skinny as twigs but can practically head butt the rim?

They have an attribute called plyometric ability, or reactive strength. Those guys rely on the elasticity of their tendons to store energy from a run up and direct that energy into the ground rapidly on their last step, propelling their body upward!

You can increase this aspect of athletic ability by a type of training exercise that is called plyometric training. Plyometric training exercises are exercises meant to increase your bodys ability to store and release energy more effectively.

If you have both of these aspects of strength, the only aspect left that could help you increase your vertical is called speed strength, or the rate at which your body develops force.

This is a byproduct of Olympic lifting. Once you have all three of these aspects, all you need is some mobility and you will be flying high in no time!

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Best Vertical Jump and strives to assist others identify with their current physique through informative reviews. You are invited to visit Best Vertical Jump to read his most recent article review.

How to Shoot a Basketball - The Three Step System

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

The subject of how to shoot a basketball is one that is close to many people’s hearts. “Within that ring lies greatness”, that’s probably what Shakespeare would have had to say on the subject! (If he’d been alive) and even in the modern era it is not only great playwrights that worry about how to shoot a basketball. That is the job of most of us who have ever messed about shooting some hoops, and dreamed of being Michael Jordan. This thinking leads to good challenges on the basketball court to improve, and an ongoing effort to improve our shooting technique and other factors that are directly under our control. In this article, I am going to look at some of the factors that influence how to shoot a basketball and how you can go about improving your basketball game in a gradual and predictable way.

The first factor to consider in it how to shoot a basketball is your foot placement. The reason this is paramount is because ultimately everything ties in to your body balance and how your body is centred. Because it is that balance, which properly allows you to get into the correct posture and position to shoot the ball effectively. In practice, what this means, is that you should have your feet placed in a stable manner, and most of your body parts bent prior to shooting the basketball. So for example, you would be flexed at the knees, with pressure evenly spread on your ankles, and your wrist bent slightly to allow you to get maximum thrust on the basketball before you propel it forwards.

The next factor to consider is how your eyes are. You need to make sure that you are focusing clearly on the basketball ring and not on the basketball itself. This is a mistake that beginners often make when they first start out with basketball, in that they are so focused on their own body position that they tend to lose sight of the main goal, which is obviously to score a basket. One aspect of this though that does differ between different teaching styles, is which part of the basket rim you should focus on. Some say it is the most forward part of the rim you should focus on, some say the backboard just above the rim, and some even say you should focus on the left or the right of the rim depending on which of your eyes is dominant when taking the basketball shot. In practice, this is quite a difficult thing to consider, and so try the four types out and then choose which ever method works best for you.

The third factor, that we are going to consider in this article is your hand position, and how you hold the basketball. This really is a critical factor. If you hold the basketball too high, then you won’t get enough leverage on it, and you won’t be able to get the correct speed or spin, in order to give the basketball the correct momentum to go in the right place. But too low, and you will find that you don’t have enough control over it. Basically, you need to experiment, find a hand grip position that allows you to have sufficient control over the basketball, but at the same time, allows you to have the dexterity of touch, to enable you to have the feel to make the shot.

If you examine these three steps. Take action and practice, then you will be well on the path to mastering the beautiful game! To discover more basketball tips, tricks and strategies. Visit the links below for up-to-date basketball information and techniques.

There’s no reason you should be embarrassed about your lack of success with shooting a basketball. Visit http://www.1st-news.info/basketball.html to find out how you can DOUBLE your Vertical Leap and make slam dunking look like child’s play!

Visit How To Shoot a Basketball if you are ready to take your game to to the next level.

How To Guarantee Your Basketball Skills And Talent

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

One of the worst things you can do when it come to achieving your Basketball goals is failing to Set them and knowing exactly what you want. Let me explain:

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SYTEMIZED, Over Proven BLUEPRINT for setting your goals and allowing yourself to achieve them, you are dead in the water (I mean It!)
Keep this in mind… “Failing to plan is planning to Fail” Read That Again:
“Failing to plan is planning to Fail.” Do you Understand what that means?

It means if you do not have a plan, you’re going to fail! You should, and must have a plan for your workouts, your goals, getting exposure, developing your game, and an action plan. If you don’t have ALL of these, you are making a huge deadly mistake!

Let’s get something straight, this is really important so stop what you’re doing and pay attention!
You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! Read That Again:
You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! If you want to become ALL-STAR baller in the pros, you have to dress and act like one…

Well Rali, how do I do that? I’m Glad you asked. You see, All-STAR ballers in the pros don’t let things like relationships; family, Friends, and obstacles get in their way… They do not let all these little things get in the way of their Dream, and that is what makes them amazing!

Here are some things that ALL-STAR Ballers Do:

-They dedicate their whole life to basketball

-They commit themselves to the game.

-They sacrifice certain things like hanging out with friends, significant others, family members to practice and focus on their game.

- They practice when they are tired and feeling lazy.

-They eat proper nutrition, get plenty of sleep and do not poison their body with things like alcohol and drugs.

-They will do whatever it takes to be the best… No matter what!

-They believe that they can be the best, no matter how good or great the competition is!

And the list goes on and on…

Do you get my drift? These are just a few of the things that you are going to have to start doing right now if you even want to think about being an NBA-All-star.

Here’s what I want you do right NOW! Not in five minutes after you eat, or not in 2 minutes after you get done reading this. Go get a piece of paper and something to write with… You got it? Good, let’s continue.

I want you to title the piece of paper: “What I will do To Achieve My Basketball Goals” Then I want you to write down your basketball goals, very detailed, where you want to play, what position, how many points, assists, boards you will average.
Exactly what you want to achieve as precise as you can get. How many games will you win? Championships etc…

Right underneath your goals I want you to write down all the things you are going to do to achieve those goals.
Just like all the things The NBA ALL-STARS do. Write down all the things that you think another baller that failed to achieve their goals would not do (this is powerful) If you do all the things that basketball failures would not do, you’re going to be in great shape. If you think this exercise is silly, Don’t! This is exactly what I do with Some of the amazing pro ballers I work with, and it works.

The last part of this Exercise is to put this up where ever you spend the most time at, your kitchen, room, computer desk, car, etc…
Where ever your going to see it the most, the better. This will allow you to keep your head focused and remember what your goals are and all the things that you are committed to doing to achieve those goals.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Basketball Training for Big-Time Immediate Results

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Basketball players need immediate results in order to compete at a high level. Since the players in todays game are so athletic, physical training becomes the grand separator. In designing an effective training program, a player needs to understand two major focal points;

* Individual skill practice must take place on a daily basis
* Conditioning/Training does not replace individual skill practice

Once the above two factors are understood, immediate progress has been made. If you are a smart player, you will make your skill work, conditioning because of how hard you work. But, as stated previously, it does not replace conditioning. Think of it as a double benefit. The daily skill work requirement of a big-time player is ball handling, passing, defending, rebounding, and movement training. The fundamental skills of basketball must be mastered and are considered imperative for a players success.

* Ball Handling
A player needs to master handling a basketball in a stationary style first. This is a prerequisite to moving with a basketball. Anyone who does not have absolute mastery over a basketball needs to focus on the Maravich Drills for their stationary movement. Most of my athletes start their individual workouts with five minutes of this nonstop at a very high intensity level.

Once mastery is attained, basic movements are used for traveling ball handling. Moves that are used in the game are emphasized. These game-time moves include change of direction, hesitation, in and out, crossover, in and out into crossover and pull back into crossover. These moves are critical for big-time results and are used in the game.

* Passing
If you have a wall to pass to, you have all you need. Make a mark on a brick wall and hit it one hundred times with your bounce, chest, overhead, one hand underhand, one hand overhand, and lob passes. Concentrate on starting every pass in the triple threat, strong with the ball position. Keep the basketball to yourself and do not give it away.

Once you have mastered the stationary passing, you can progress to moving. You can use that same wall, just take a strong dribble to the left or right and then go through the same series of passes. Once you master once dribble, proceed to two dribbles.

* Rebounding
Rebounding is timing, the ability to read the ball off the rim, and positioning. Like all the other skills, proper repetition will give way to serious results. When you perform your shooting drills, follow all of your shot, and finish them. Take the ball strong to the rim with authority. Shooting drills are the keys to rebounding and this is due to your repetitions of reading the ball off the rim.

* Defense and Movement Training
Since my retirement from professional basketball, I have realized there is a serious void in this area. There are tremendous individual skill coaches out there who do a great job but there is a lack of movement training coaches. To give you another example, why would a player who has not mastered his own bodily movement try to add weight to it? A body is only as efficient as his levers allow him to be. Remember, it is not always the skills or a weightlifting program as much as it is the players ability to move randomly.

Dave Lemanczyk is the C.E.O. of Dave Lemanczyk LLC, a leading developer of superior human performance products in today’s fitness industry. http://www.basketballstrength.com

How Do You Get Instant Massive Basketball Exposure Part 2

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

We are going to go over the step-by-step process of getting your named spread like wild fire to 1,000’s of coaches, teams and great contacts. Moving on.

One of the deadliest mistakes I see ballers doing, is sitting back thinking that coaches and teams are going to find them. Good luck with that one! You must, and I mean you must contact and develop relationships with coaches and teams RIGHT NOW!

Even if that team or school is not one you want to go play for, just having the contact is worth and could save your career. Here are some easy, effective ways to get in touch with coaches and teams. Simply email them, call them, or send them a letter or footage of your game.

One thing you have to understand is that these teams and coaches need you as much as you need them, and they would love if they didn’t have to go flying around the country looking for players. You are saving them a lot of headaches, and long flights, that I am sure they would much rather spend coaching basketball or spending time with their family.

You will be contacting the teams, and coaches that are looking for you and what you have to offer. Now when you contact them, don’t just say, “hello my name is… and I want to come play for you.” They here this all day.

Instead, be more personal, do some research on the coach, his team, records stats, and history. They will just simply melt if you know some things they might not even have known about their team, it also shows that you are a student of the game, and not just another baller that thinks he is the best in the world.

Pro Secret.

And also tell them, that you were wondering if they might be interested in you, but if they weren’t, could they reefer some other coaches or pass you information along to someone that would be able to help you and might be interested in your game.

Just by saying that, you can get your name out to 1,000’s of coaches literally over night, they will be more then happy sending your name and info to a good friend of there’s or a team they they know you have a shot at. It’s like having your own PRO recruiter working for you for free.

I know a bunch of ballers that have used this tip to get tot he Division-1 level, Steve Nash as a matter of fact. Remember, there are a lot of ballers out there that believe they can get to the next level, just like you, they are hungry, eager and determined.

But you can’t always just play harder, you have to play smarter too! Get out there right now and be pro active and watch all the great things that will happen.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

The Secrets Behind A Quick Release

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

We hear it all the time, that player has a quick release, or man that baller shoots the ball fast. But, is it really as it may seem, do some players shoot the ball faster then others? From what I have seen and studied, no!

The difference between someone having a quick release and someone that takes more time to shoot is what they do before they catch the ball that makes the difference. The quickness of your release is not what you do when you catch the ball; it is what you do before you catch the ball. You see, if you do the things that you are suppose to before you catch the ball then you will be one step ahead of the game. Then, when you catch the ball, all you will have to do is simply shoot it.

In the NBA they call this the 2 second shoot drill. Meaning that you have to get you shoot off in 2 seconds or less from the time you receive the ball.

They also call this ready on the catch. Let’s look at the keys to the 2 second shoot drill.

1. Have your knees bent.

2. All ten fingers facing towards the ceiling

3. shooting foot back

If you look at the picture above you will see all three aspects of the being ready on the catch being performed.

He has his knees bent which allow him to go straight up with his shoot as oppose to catching the ball then bending his knees then shooting. Basketball is a game that should be played low to high, not high to low.

The next component to being ready on the catch is to have your shooting foot back. This enables for you to get into rhythm of your shoot. It is very hard to have any rhythm when both of your feet are parallel with each other. When your shooting foot is back you can then step into your shoot when the ball is on its way, giving you rhythm and momentum to your shoot.

And the last component to the ready on the catch drill is to have all ten fingers pointing towards the ceiling. This enables to you catch the ball in the proper position without having to change your hand placements.

Most players have their fingers or hands down, which require for you to move them before you catch the ball in order to catch the ball.

When you have all fingers pointing towards the sky, the ball will just land right in your hands ready for you to shoot.

In the picture you will also see how everything is lined up with each other. His head is straight under his shoulders, his shooting foot is not to far back. His elbow is lined up with his knee, and his feet are pointing to the direction of the hoop.

These crucial aspects are the difference between the quick shooters and the slow ones. If you prepare yourself before you get the ball you will be that far ahead of the competition. You should always be thinking about the next play, and how you can better yourself to be more prepared.

Work on the two second shoot drill in practice or by yourself and watch as you turn into a fast, effective shooter.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Six Skills All Stars Master

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Have you ever noticed that some ballers seem to shine compared to other ballers? There are some special, dominate hoopers that just seem to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Are You one of them? Do fans come to watch you play? Or do they come to see one of your teammates? I just received an email from one of my special ballers that bought by Go Basketball Pro System and he had a very basic question? Rali, what are the most essential skills All Star ballers master? And here is the answer.

Skill # 1:
All star ballers are different then most. Some are small, big, fast, slow, but when I say different, I mean they have mastered what the rest of the ballers have not. This is one of the most crucial steps you MUST take in order to dominate the court. Goal setting. I know it sounds basic, but believe me, its more effective then you think. Think about it for one second, how are you going to achieve something you do not have a goal for? When you set your goal, you have a reason for playing, a reason for practicing, a reason for being. You have to know exactly what you want to accomplish, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Skill # 2: Defining a niche!
This is by far the most over looked aspect in basketball. A niche is what you do best, it is the one thing that you do great, the thing that separates you form the baller next to you. The One thing you can provide the team, and what the coach can count on you for. Without a niche, you have no identity on the court. If you look at all the kings in the NBA, you will easily discover their niche.
Steve Nash- passing
Ben Wallace- Rebounding
Dwayne Wade- attacking the basket
Mike Miller- Shooting
Kobe - Scoring
And the list goes on. Find a Niche and spend as much time working and improving it as much as possible.

Skill # 3:
Staying as low as possible. Basketball is a sport that should always be played from low to high, not high to low. The lower you are, the faster, stronger, more balanced you will be. When you drive past someone on offense, you want to focus on getting your shoulder to where the defenders hips are. That is how low you should be on all you drives. There are certain things that separate the “wannabee ballers” form the All-Star studs that get all the fame and publicity. And make no mistake about it, theses are the keys to unlocking your true potential. Here are the other crucial 3 keys All-Star ballers master

Skill # 4: Practicing Less But accomplishing more!
Yes, All-Star ballers leverage their time effectively and get more accomplished in less amount of time. How do you do that? Easy! You incorporate basketball circuits into your workouts. Most unsuccessful ballers do the traditional work on 1 or 2 things each practice, like spending 45 minutes to a hour working on their jump shot. And then spending the last 15 minutes on defense or conditioning. It would be far more effective if you had a circuit of exercise ranging anywhere from 4 to 8 different exercises in each circuit. These exercise would be called stations and you would spend a certain amount of time at each station and then rotate to the next station. From what I have found, 30 seconds is plenty of time to spend at each station, and then you would allow your self 15 to 30 seconds of rest in between each station before moving on to the next station. Just pick your top 6 drills that you love to do and incorporate them into a circuit and watch as time fly’s by and you get so much more done.

Skill # 5:
Mastering the art of marketing and exposure. There is nothing lucky about it. The reason why that baller is on T.V. and your not is because he knows how to market himself correctly to get as much exposure as he needs. Look, it’s very simple:The best basketball player in the world is nothing unless people, and I mean the right people know of him. How many ballers do you think are out there that have the talent to play in the NBA, but are not there? I know of at least 50 of them. Learn how to market yourself to teams, coaches, schools and organizations as soon and as early as possible and watch how fast an avalanche of scholarships and contacts will fill your mailbox.

Skill # 6:
Doing what’s Uncomfortable. Yep, That is right, doing the uncomfortable. All-Stars ballers have formed the habit of doing things they do not like to do. Let me explain. Everyone is natural inclination, including All-Stars, is to be lazy and only do things that are comfortable. Here is an example. I do not know about you, but when I played, I use to hate doing things that would improve my defense. Like defensive slides, holding my defensive stance and other drills that would make my legs feel like logs. But just because I did not want to do them does not mean I would not do it. I try to form the habit of doing all the things I did not want to do, but if I did, it would make me a better person, and a better baller. Everyday think of the one things that you do not want to do, but if you did, it would make your life better, on and off the court. Master these 6 skills and I guarantee you your competition will be sorry.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Basketball Secret Key To Success

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

It’s simple and it’s basic, your number # 1 secret of success will always be knowing your “Niche” and using it to separate yourself form every other baller out there. This is the most over-looked art of figuring out what your coach really needs and developing an identity on the court.

What is a Niche? I’m glad you asked! Your niche is how you are different from everyone else. It is the one aspect that you are great at, not good at, but great at.

It is the one thing that will get you on a team, or get you cut off of a team. This should be common sense for all ballers, and yet it will be your secret weapon. Because most of your competition will forever ignore the fundamentals of defining a niche, or screw it up (since they’ve never bothered to pay attention to the lessons).

It’s relatively easy to perform a play or move that gets a coach to say “Hey, that ballers pretty good.” But that doesn’t mean they will pick you to be on their team or pursue you to play for them.

No. You want your prospect Coach to say (after experiencing watching you play) “Wow! That’s exactly what I need on my team. How do I get them to consider playing for me?”

But getting a coach to be jaw dropped and begging you to play for them is a much more complex process. You don’t have to understand the biology or chemistry that goes on. But you do have to realize that dominating the hardwood requires a lot of knowledge and a little skill.

It’s not difficult. But it’s not something most people naturally learn to do. There are a few key secrets to identifying a niche that (once you master them) will guarantee that every time you step on the court every coach and player will be astonished and you will start leaving your dominating trail of legacy along the way.

That’s how “the greats” are formed. First by identifying their niche and then by working to master their niche. Most ballers play from their heels, meaning they blow it when it comes to discovering what aspect of the game they are dominate at. They stumble along the way guessing how to develop their game and normally find them selves in a dark hole with no way to get out.

The baller graveyard is crammed with great talented ballers that failed to identify and work on their niche. However, when you master the basics of developing a niche and continually working to master your niche, you will start to see and feel the benefits that come with being a “unique” Hot-Ticket ball player. Whatever results you’re getting will instantly be multiplied many times, as soon as you apply the secrets of niche discovering.

If you look at any of the dominating forces in the pros you will find that it is easy to identify their niche:

Reggie Miller- Shooting
Bruce Bowen- Defense
Steven Nash- passing and play making
Tracy Mcgrady- Scoring
Shaq- Post Dominating
Ben Wallace- Rebounding

And the list goes on and on. They discovered their niche and developed a plan to master it, not just to be good at it but to be great at it.

So how do you figure out what’s your gold key niche?
Easy, ask yourself what do you think you are the best at, what important aspect of basketball do you always do well, or tend to be better then others at. It would also be a great idea if you asked your coach, parents, teammates and other players that do not personally know you but have seen you play before. It is also very important to receive honest opinions, and you should not ask someone you believe who falsely tell you something just to, please you, get the truth.

If you have a identified niche you will be that much more dominate and coaches would much rather recruit a player that performs a certain task very well like passing then trying to recruit a player that they will have to develop those certain skill they are looking for. Now once you have identified your niche, you have found a pot of gold, an you will be 100 steps ahead of your competition.

If you do not have a niche, and really do not understand what kind of a player you are or what you do very well, you will just confuse all the coaches and recruits that are interested in you. The most common mistake that I have seen with lack of niche identification normally happens with guards. You know what I am talking about, that guard that you see but you really do not know if he is a point guard or a shooting guard, it’s like he is stuck in the middle.
And if you are stuck in the middle, you are not going any where. Allen Iverson is a perfect example, he was having problems figuring out what kind of player he was, and his game struggled, but once he committed to being a two guard, his game flourished and he become an NBA ALL-STAR.

So determine your niche and commit to mastering it, whatever it is, it might be scoring, shooting, rebounding, defense, passing, play making or even teammate support. If you do not have a niche, get one or you will never get to the next level. Find out for yourself why so many top Pro ballers give me credit and hide me away as their secret weapon for their wealth and fame.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

How To Guarantee Basketball Growth

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

One very important aspect about any sport, not just basketball is continual growth and development. When you are not growing you are doing the opposite… Dying! Successful basketball players and those who aren’t achieving their dreams are different.

And most of the time it has nothing to do with ability or talent. Ask yourself a simple question? Do you think there is some baller out there that is way better then some guys in the league, but he is stuck somewhere working at a food restaurant or something? I know of at least a dozen of them!

But why is this so? Did they make a bad decision, made a wrong move, or didn’t play their cards right? All of these could be true, but from what I have found, these are not the main causes. The main cause of basketball failure is a lack of growth! What kind of growth? Personal growth.

As I stated earlier, if you are not growing, you are doing the opposite of growing. You see successful, dominate ballers have formed habits of doing things they do not like doing.

Let’s read that again. You see successful, dominate ballers have formed habits of doing things they do not like doing.

Everyone has the bad habit of being lazy, even successful basketball players. But successful ballers have formed the habit of doing the things that will benefit them even when they are feeling lazy. Successful ballers focus solely on results, and unsuccessful ballers focus solely on the process of those results.

Here is an example: A baller who has formed the habit of doing things even when they do not want to, and focuses just on the results will go wake up at 6 in the morning and work on their game with the intention of playing pro basketball. The result (playing pro basketball) is the fuel and drive they use to achieve their dreams or goal.

A unsuccessful basketball player will not get up at 6 in the mourning and will look at the process of becoming a pro baller, (competition, chances, odds, how, obstacles, lack of resources, commitment etc…). And hence they will never get tot their goal, because their goal seems to be a hill they can not climb, it’s too hard, too many things to do. They actually prevent them selves from achieving their goal!

Here is something that you can do right now and for the rest of your life to ensure basketball growth. Everyday when you wake up, or even the night before, take out apiece of paper and write down one thing that you do not want to do, but if you did would move your life, and development forward. Then write down the benefits of completing that task (again focus on the results). By focusing on the result you will take the necessary action to get the job done.

If you were to do this everyday for the rest of your life, your results will be amazing, and you will accomplish some of the biggest goals that you thought were nothing but a dream. Try this for the next 4 weeks and watch as your game, life and everything around it becomes magical!

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

How To Instantly Improve Your Basketball Game

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

With so many drills and different ways to practice to improve your game, you could very easily get confused and frustrated trying to compile a perfect practice plan. Some of the main components I have always stressed with all my private basketball clients, whether they are beginners or an NBA veteran, is to try and train smarter and not just harder.

A major component you have to consider when trying to design a basketball improvement system is to leverage your time wisely and work on the areas that are most important to you and your game. To use an example, if you are a point guard, your main job is to be able to handle the rock under control and pressure, control the pace of the game, make sure all your teammates are doing their job correctly and be your coaches on the court general.

It would be great if you were a great rebounder, it is not something that you should spend alot of time practicing. You should focus the majority of your time practicing and improving the areas that are most required. Try not to get caught up in trying to work on every aspect of basketball,there just is not enough time to work on every thing in one practice.

I have outlined a practice plan that I use to structure all of my pro clients workouts,they are very effective and time efficient. The practice will last approximately 1 hour and will begin with a sports warm-up.

Sports Warm Up ( 15 minutes)
It is very essential you participate in an active warm up that will prepare you for a vigorous work out ahead. The days of static stretching as a team are long over,due to the fact that you want to prepare your self for moving, running,and explosive burst, you want to prepare your body to handle certain movements and game situations.

I normally have all my players run 4 to 5 times around the court at about 50%, and then follow that up with 4 half court layups from both the right and left side. Then, we perform 3 full court layups on each side, right and left. Then we move onto two ball dribbling, full court and back 3 times, two ball alternating dribbling full court and back, 3 times, and then finishwith a couple of dynamic warm up stretches that improve the mobility, stability, and flexibility of certain muscle groups.

Basketball conditioning ( 10 minutes)
I have always like jumping right into some conditioning drills as my players perform better when we get conditioning done at the beginning of practice. Many practices, the exercise or drills will change and vary, but the principles remain the same. I usually compile 6 conditioning drills that we will perform only once, but at 100% intensity.

I will then give them a 30-45 second break and thenmove onto the next conditioning drill.We do not perform the drills for certain amount of reps, but rather for a duration of time. Usually lasting 30-45 seconds.

Hers is a sample Conditioning workout:
Exercise # 1 suicide ( 30 seconds)
Rest(45seconds)
Exercise # 2 ( machine guns while dribbling a basketball) 30 seconds
Rest (45 seconds)
Exercise # 3 Basketball Pushups with a basketball( 20 seconds on each side)
Rest(45 seconds)
Exercise #4 Full court Defensive slides( 35 seconds)
Rest ( 45 seconds)
Exercise # 5 Net or rim touches ( 30 seconds)
Rest ( 45 Seconds)
Exercise # 6 Push Up Holds ( 45 seconds)
Rest Until 10 minutes is up.

As you can see, if you structure your workouts and practices correctly, you can get a very effective practice in a short period of time. The next 10 minutes will solely focus on shooting. I have a simple rule when trying to improve your shooting.

Think of the 5 most common shots and area that you are most likely to shoot in a game and work on those 5 shots the most. It is almost a waste of time if you are a center trying to improve your 3 point shooting. Once you have figured out your 5 most common shots, spend 2 minutes each working on them and getting up as many shots as you can in those 2 minutes from those specific spots.

You will be surprised when you start working on only a couple of shoots how much more you will improve compared to trying to shoot from every where. After you finish working on your shooting, you will then dedicate the next 10 minutes on ball handling. There are millions of drills that will improve your ball handling skills and you can pick which ever ones you like, but follow these rules when you do so.

1. Try not to ever look down at the ball.

2. Try your hardest not to mess up.

3. Involve as much running and movement as you can.

4.When you have mastered a drill, do not continue to do the same drill, move on to a more challenging drill.

5. Try to incorporate multitasking drills as much as possible, like 2 ball dribbling, the more you can do at the same time the better.

Follow those rules and you will see a dramatic improvement in your over all game. Now that you have gotten past those stations, it is time now to move on to the most important aspect of the practice. The last 15 minutes will solely be committed to working on your niche, the most important component of your game.

What Is Your Niche? This is by far the most over looked aspect in basketball. A niche is what you do best, it is the one thing that you do great, the thing that separates you form the baller next to you. The One thing you can provide the team, and what the coach can count on you for. Without a Niche, you have no identity on the court. If you look at all the kings in the NBA, you will easily discover their niche.

Steve Nash- passing
Ben Wallace- Rebounding
Dwayne Wade- attacking the basket
Mike Miller- Shooting
Kobe - Scoring
And the list goes on.

Spend the last 15 minutes working and mastering your niche. Whatever it is, whether it be shooting, rebounding, ball handling, defense, scoring, driving to the basket, 3 point shooting, ect. Work on mastering and improving it. I guarantee you that if you take this outline and use it to structure your workouts and practices, you will have more improvement in a couple of weeks then you probably have had your whole career.

Improving your game is easy when you do it the right way.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Five Easy Tips To Make The Basketball Team

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

As I am sure you are getting prepared for this up coming basketball season, there are a lot of little easy things you can and should be doing to guarantee you will make the final cut. I have been receiving tons of emails lately asking if I have any tips or secrets on how to make a basketball team. Unfortunately, not every one is as talented as Lebron or Kobe, and it can be a pretty difficult challenge especially if you live in a big city or go to a big school.

Since I have been getting so many emails on this topic, I have put together 5 Tips To help you get on any basketball team. Put these tips to use and you will be thanking me in a couple of weeks when you make your team! Lets get started… Okay first things first. You have to realize why most coaches choose certain players. They are only concerned with a player that will help the team. And it necessarily doesn’t always have to be talent or skill level. One of the great assets Steve Nash brings is the confidence he instills in his teammates.Every time one of them falls down, he runs to pick them up. When one of them makes a mistake, he pats them on their shoulder and tells them not to worry about it. When they do something right, he is the first one to applaud them. Do you do these things? Do you make your teammates feel better when they play with you? I guarantee you if you can develop this kind of maturity, your coach will love you. Here are my 5 tips:

Tip # 1:
Show up to the try-outs super early, already warmed up and stretched and ready to go.

Tip # 2:
Look around to see what most of the other kids are good at, are there a lot of shooters, scorers, ball handlers. Whatever there is a lot of, try to focus on what there isn’t a lot of.Like are there a lot of great defenders, hustlers? If there is not, make it your main focus to try as hard as you can on defense and bust your butt.

Tip # 3:
Show the coach that you would be a great addition to his team, either by skill, intelligence, or being a team leader.

Tip # 4:
Get to know the coach as much as possible. Develop a off the court relationship. Find out why they are coaching, and why they love the sport.

Tip # 5:
Don’t be afraid, show confidence, show them you are willing to put in the time to improve, and most importantly, show them you love playing basketball. These 5 tips are basic, but it could determine whether or not you make the team, or have to wait until next year to try out again.

P.S.Instead of worrying about making the team, how would you like to become the most dominant all-star your rivals have ever seen? Grab your free All-Star ballers crash course and discover the basketball training secrets of the most unstoppable hoops stars known to man.

Since You’ve dedicated your self to reading this entire article, I want to give you a FREE Gift. Simply visit www.GoBasketballPro.com and claim your subscription to my “Untold Basketball Secrets” newsletter. It’s jammed packed with outrageous all-star baller strategies.

Oscar Robertson: The Milwaukee Bucks’ First Star

Friday, June 20th, 2008

Oscar Robertson is the Milwaukee Bucks’ first star player. Known as “The Big O”, Robertson is a recipient of the MVP award in 14 professional seasons. Robertson is an inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame and also one of the 50 greatest NBA players in history.

The Milwaukee Bucks is the NBA team representing the city of Milwaukee in Winconsin.

Robertson’s Early Years

The NBA star was born to a poor family on November 24, 1983 in a segregated housing project in Indianapolis. Boys his age were into baseball but Robertson was not interested in the sport. Instead, he preferred to learn basketball. Because of their poverty, Robertson resorted to using tennis balls and rags which he tied together using a rubber band instead of a proper basketball. In place of a hoop, he shot these makeshift basketballs into a peach basket. With these improvised equipment, Robertson honed the skills that would later on propel him to stardom in the NBA.

School

In 1954, Robertson entered a segregated school that is exclusive for African-Americans, called the Crispus Attucks High School. Because of his love for basketball, he joined the high school basketball team in the state competition. The team had previously lost during the state quarterfinals to Milan, who would later on become state champions. However, with Robertson around, the team bounced back getting an excellent record of 31 wins and 1 loss in 1955 and won the state championship. This was the first time an all-black school ever won a state championship in Indianapolis.

The following season, Robertson and the Attucks won their second state championship. The team this time impressed the crowd with 31 wins with no losses at all. The team was also on the way to securing a state record of 45 straight victories. Because of his efforts — he scored 24 points for every game during his senior year — Robertson was awarded the title Indiana “Mr. Basketball” in 1955.

In 1956, Robertson graduated and entered the University of Cincinnati, eventually joining the university’s basketball team. His skills had improved to the point that he scored 33.8 points per game on the average. Robertson’s record was the third highest scoring in the history of college basketball.

For three years, Robertson won the national scoring title. In every year, he was named an All-American player and College Player of the Year. Robertson also set 14 NCAA and 19 school records during his stay in the University of Cincinnati. With him on board, the Cincinnati Bearcats had an overall record of 79 wins and 9 losses, as well as two appearances in the Final Four. However, he failed to lead the team into a championship despite his excellent record in high school. By the time he left college, Robertson was a leading NCAA scorer.

After college, Robertson joined the U.S. basketball team during the 1960 Summer Olympics. His team captain was Jerry West. Robertson and West, along with a few others, were regarded as the greatest collection of amateur basketball players. They were undefeated, and got the gold medal. Robertson and few others then made it to the NBA, where three of them became Hall-of-Famers.

NBA Years

Robertson’s first professional team was the Cincinnati Royals (which would later on become the Sacramento Kings). While he was with the team, Robertson made a mark as a rookie by scoring 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists during his first year with the Royals. His performance led to an NBA rookie of the year award in the 1960-1961 season, and an election into the All-NBA First Team. He also appeared in an All-Star game, during which the West scored victory and Robertson made a record of 23 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds. However, the Royals during the season never made it past the Western Division with a record of 33 wins and 46 losses.

During the next season (1961-1962), Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 11.4 assists and 12.5 rebounds for every game. He was the only player to do so. He also broke Bob Cousy’s 715-assist record with his 899 assists.

Similar to his stay in the University of Cincinnati, Robertson failed to see a championship with the Royals until he left the team during a trade off in the 1970-1971 season draft. Traded for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk, it was with the Bucks that Robertson saw his first championship in 1971. He also helped the Bucks get two division titles during the 1971-1972 and 1972-1973 seasons, and also assisted the team to reach the finals during the 1974 season. However, the team lost to the Bolton Celtics during the season.

The Oscar Robertson Suit

The Oscar Robertson suit is a suit filed by the NBA Player Association — of which Robertson was president — against the league in 1974. The suit basically was settled after six years, which resulted to a merger of the NBA and the ABA, and introduced the free agency status of players after their contracts expired.

Attila Z Jancsina is a freelance copy writer. He occasionally writes for Wisconsin Real Estate FSBO. Website offers Free FSBO advertisement.

Basketball at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 will be Sure to Dominate as a Crowd Favorite

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

Basketball at the 2008 Olympic Games will be held at Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing from August 9-24, 2008.

Basketball is definitely a global sport that has shown continued growth over recent years. The USA with the NBA and its college basketball system undoubtedly has the toughest competitions in the world that attracts the world’s best players. However, the USA has not always dominated the Olympics and on several occasions they have been embarrassed by some unexpected defeats to lesser known teams.

The USA always enters the Olympics as favourites but their inability to gel and play as a team has brought about some bad losses. The question will be is will they have a team of players who play like individuals or will they put aside their egos and play as a team. If they play as a team then they should win the gold medal.

In 1972 the Soviet Union beat the USA to win the gold in a controversial game. After 1988 the Olympics opened the sport up for professional players to play which saw the greatest basketball team of all time to compete in 1992. The “Dream Team” lead by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were just unbeatable and put on a show for all the world to see. Most of the players on the other teams were star struck by playing against these legends of the game.

In 1992 Michael Jordan was the team’s second highest scorer with 14.9 points per game and he had a tournament high 37 steals. The U.S. defeated Croatia 117-85 in the final and as a result Michael Jordan earned his second Olympic gold medal.

David Stern of the NBA has stated a number of times that they wish to expand and promote the game of basketball in China. As a result they have played and will continue to play more exhibition games in China. The presence of China’s greatest player, Yao Ming in the NBA has helped to increase the popularity of basketball in China.

The following teams have already qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympics: Angola (African Champion), Argentina (Americas runner-up), Australia (Oceania Champion), China (host), Iran (Asian Champion), Lithuania (European Bronze medallist), Russia (European Champion), Spain (World Champion) and USA (Champion of the Americas).

The remaining three positions for the Beijing Olympics will be decided in the twelve team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men that will take place in Athens, Greece on July 14th. The tournament will involve the following teams: Cameroon and Cape Verde (Africa), Brazil and Canada (Americas), Lebanon, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Korea (Asia), Greece, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia (Europe) and New Zealand (Oceania). The draw for this tournament will be held on July 20, 2008 in Athens.

The semi finals are scheduled to be played on August 22nd and the finals two days later on August 24th. Although the Americans often underplay the importance of the Olympic Games it is guaranteed that this time they will want to restore their global dominance in basketball by coming out and performing at their best. Anything less than a gold medal will be taken as a failure by many players and supporters in the USA.

For more information on Basketball at the Olympics you should visit Basketball in Beijing 2008

The Rules Of Basketball

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Basketball was invented in a pursuit for an indoor game, which would provide complete fitness. Dr James Naismith, a Canadian physical instructor, wrote down the basic rule for the game after initial rejection of many ideas, at a YMCA Training School. This game was officially played for the first time on January 20, 1892, in the YMCA Gymnasium, at Springfield College. Women began playing basketball in 1892, at Smith College, and different sets of rules were laid down for them.

This is a team sport where two teams, consisting of nine members each, throw ball into a ten-foot high basket of the opponent in order to get a score. While one team member aims for the basket, member of the other team prevents him from doing so. The team that has the highest score wins the game. The ball is dribbled and carried forward. In competitive basketball variation there are lot of regulations and the handling of the ball is restricted. Less regulated versions have been developed for recreational purposes and in some countries, this game is considered as a spectator sport.

Initially a soccer ball was used in basketball after which a brown colored ball was introduced. But to increase the visibility of the ball to the players and spectators alike the color was changed to orange, in 1950s by Tony Hinkle. Initially dribbling wasn’t a part of the game. It was included in the game in the 1950s.

Different versions have different rules and time limits. According to NBA, some of the rules have been discussed here. The basketball court should be 94 X 50 feet. There should be baskets on two opposite ends of the court. The court is either made out of wood or cement. The ten feet high basket is made out of steel rim with a net attached. One score, also called shot, is counted as two points or three points when aimed from a distance of 7.24 meter. The game is divided into four quarters which each of them with a time limit of twelve minutes.

A break of fifteen minutes is allowed after the first two quarter and in between each quarter, there is a break of two minutes. In the third quarter, both the teams exchange their baskets. At a time five members of each team are present on the court. Permission is given to have up to seven substitutes. Other than the coach assistant coaches, statisticians, managers, trainers and doctors assists a team. Other equipments, other than the ball, required during the game are scoreboard, score sheets, clocks, stop clocks, whistles, and alternating possession arrows.

The male and the female player require to wear a pair of shorts and a jersey with clear number printed on the front and the back. High-top sneakers can be worn to provide extra ankle support. Sometimes the coach can request clock stoppages in between the game, if he wants to discuss something important with his team members. Usually three referees watch over the game. Other things like timekeeping, fouls by an individual or a team, score, team possession arrow, shot clock and player substitutions are taken care of by the table officials.

Over the period of time, various positions have been developed in basketball. Initially there were one guard, two forwards, and two centers or two guards, two forwards, and one center. Later on point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center positions were added.

Actions, which lead to violations are double dribbling, traveling, and carrying the ball and shot clock. Foul is illegal physical contact with the opponent team members, which would hinder them.

The other variations of the professional basketball are wheelchair basketball for the physically handicapped, water basketball to be played in a swimming pool, beach basketball which has very few or no regulations, half court game which has only one basket, and street ball and one-on-one which has two players and smaller court.

Alan Richardson is the owner of The Sports Equipment Site where you will find a massive selection of deals on sporting equipment and apparel.

The Real History of Basketball

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Basketball, as we know it today, was not always as simple as it seems. There were no big, multi-million dollar stars like Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan or Larry Byrd. There were no arenas like there are today - no Spectrums or Los Angeles Coliseums. There were not any television broadcasts or broadcasters, no hardwood floors or even nets. The basketball game of many years back was a terrifying experience to say the very least. It was a right of passage and a way to settle disputes.

Basketball as it was first seen took place 100’s of years ago and was played by the Mayans and Incas of Mexico, Peru and other South American countries. The game, or what they called a game, was played in a brick trench roughly the length of a Canadian Arena Football field (half the length of an American one) and the width was half of an American football field as well. The teams were made up of 7 men on each side. There were metal hoops placed various heights and distances apart, and these hoops were worth a certain amount of points.

Winning one of these games was, literally, life and death. In fact, the ball was not a ball at all, but was a decapitated human head. The players would not dribble the ball. They instead, tossed it back and forth, much like in Australian rugby, until a player could toss the head through a hoop. On one side of the trench were your opponents hoops, and the other your own. You could take points away from the opposing team by throwing the head into the opposing team’s hoops. These games could go on for many hours without a victor in sight. There were no time outs, half times or removal of a player from the “court” or “arena” and certainly injuries were not a factor. The rules were simple and precise: toss to your teammates and throw into the hoop.

Unlike the game of basketball that we know and love today, the winners did not get bonuses in their paychecks or get awarded fancy cars, jets or luxurious vacations. They were not even pampered. These players were warriors, plain and simple. The winning team got to do one important thing: live. The losing team was sacrificed in a blood ceremony by having their heads removed and their bodies cremated. There was no dishonor in this death. Whatever the issue was, be it war, marriage or crop management and disbursement, it was now settled. This was a “gentleman’s way” to manage conflict without hundreds or thousands of deaths, much like dueling in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Sebastian Marders loves writing about a variety of things and sharing the website that inspires each piece with his readers. If you would like to know a bit about Jump Soles, or are interested in basketball ankle braces or knee braces then please visit.

Improving Your Basketball Game with Strength Training and Endurance Techniques

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

When we sit and watch a basketball game, we are always yelling at our team for every screw up they throw our way. We are fans - and as fans - it is our job to judge, heckle and to annoy these men who, as far as we are concerned, are not worth as much as they are paid to play a “simple sport” or “game.” Basketball is big business like any other sport.

Make no bones about it though - it is not easy. There are a lot of things that go into making a great basketball player and height, surprisingly, is not one of them. It helps - do not get me wrong - but there have been some short men to play the sport over the last hundred years or so (Muggsy Bogues to name one of recent play). Strength, stamina and endurance are all important factors in your basketball game. The following simple techniques will help you achieve your potential.

1) Run the Wood

Endurance is a major factor in the game of basketball and you are required to constantly run, run, run up and down the court. So in order to meet the needs of the game, this is what you do - run up and down a basketball court for 20 minutes to start. Gradually increase your time and speed. Timing your pivots and run backs are important as well, so make sure to touch the line before you pivot as making quick changes during a game are important.

2) Tire Throw

Besides throwing the basketball into a hoop, you always need to be able to pass with accuracy. A simple way to accomplish this feat is by stealing an idea from football players. Unused car tires make a perfect target for throwing your “rock” and hitting the mark. If you have some friends who want to improve their skills at the same time, you can take turns running in-between severa