Basketball is the Greatest Sport

Basketball is not a great sport. It is the greatest sport. Personally, there are many basketball memories from a childhood which revolved around the sport that a book could be written on them alone. The history of the game is filled with colorful characters and gut wrenching moments performed by individual players and teams alike. Basketball continues to grow in popularity around the world, now second only to soccer according to Wikipedia Answers. With all of the different reasons that make basketball a great sport the one aspect of the game that deserves the most respect and praise is the game itself. Without the game having been crafted by Dr James Naismith and evolving the way it has we have no memories, we have no colorful characters and no gut wrenching moments.

The game of basketball is practical to play for people of all social and economic backgrounds. It can be played with one person and a hoop on the side of a barn or in a gymnasium with a full standard game of five against five. This has made it possible for people of all backgrounds to become great champions of basketball and even use the sport as a platform for the acceleration of civil rights. Even soccer, which can be played with one person and a soccer ball, has the limitation in that you need a much bigger playing area to legitimately play the sport. This is not always possible for children, particularly those in the inner cities. Basketball can be played by people of all sizes, while it does favor taller athletes in the professional ranks; there are still a wide variety of height levels within a game. You may have a six foot tall point guard and a seven foot tall center that must play together. Accommodating and altering one another's games for the best of the team.

Basketball can be played well by great athletes and those without as much talent. A good shot can be developed with practice by someone who can not jump over a crack in the sidewalk. Gifted athletes who can jump and seemingly never come down are also well suited for basketball. It is a showcase of the athletic, hard working and tenacious.

The ever evolving complexities of the different offenses and defenses of the game help assure that basketball maintains its greatness. The triangle offense which is often attributed to Coach Phil Jackson changed the NBA dramatically. It made defenses have to adjust to something they had not seen before. Any trip down the floor can mean a change in offense or defense that can change the entire look of the game. The options and potentials seem limitless. The defense can switch to a 2-3 zone a 3-2 zone or a box in one. A very fast paced game can be slowed at any moment. There is no reason to believe that there will not be even more revolutionary offensive and defensive sets in the future. Basketball has a unique way of changing rules (e.g. adding the three point line and the shot clock) that improve the game while not compromising the basic concept of the game.

These evolutions will continue and the game will always thrive as a sport because of this basic nature of how basketball was constructed. This is what makes basketball greatest sport, the game itself. If you love basketball like me just thinking about it will make you pick up a ball on go shoot some hoops.