Strong 1

Samuel Strong
Camille Pack
English 2010-014
27 January 2015
1307 words
Basketball: A Sport or a Way of Life?

Do you play basketball? An inquiry often made to people who stand near or above the
showerhead. Such a question causes some of the lanky six foot plus populace to grow an inner
hatred for the game. Just look at what Jordan Scott said in his article on The College Tailgate,
Its pretty simple, I hate basketball. Always have and probably always will (Scott, 1).
However, basketball should not be hated! It surrounds us here in America. It is part of our
history, culture, and it is quickly spreading around the world. There are many different ways to
be involved in the sport. The core ways are by playing, watching and even simply learning about
the sport.
Why should I learn about basketball if I dont like it? some may argue. Well, high
school students ask similar questions when they are asked to pore over Shakespearean sonnets or
classic books like To Kill a Mockingbird. The purpose of all of that is to help students learn
morals and apply them, also to prevent them from awkward conversations and situations in the
future. For example, when in a conversation, some knowledgeable being mentions Atticus, it is
vital that we as listeners are not left confused and wondering why our colleague just
mispronounced the name for an antecedent calculator. Likewise, whether you find yourself at
school, in a restaurant, or at your mediocre job selling mens neckwear to pretentious plebeians,
if someone were to mention King James, it would be favorable to know that they are not talking
about some deceased European monarch. Rather, you will know that they are referring to the

Strong 2

demi-god who resides in Cleveland and plays basketball for a living, leaving you in a position to
contribute to the colloquy in a way, that wont make you look a fool, but will leave your friends
and associates pleased with the opportunity to chew the fat with a fellow as fine as you. Another
example of this comes from the TV series Everybody Hates Chris. In the third episode of the
first season, ironically titled Everybody Hates Basketball, in the beginning of the episode,
Chris and his friend Greg often are discussing basketball. They talk about team stats, player
stats, and about the most recent games. At one point the narrator of the show, Chris Rock,
mentions how he did not enjoy playing the game, but he enjoyed looking at the details and
learning about the sport (Everybody Hates Chris).
Learning just a little about the sport of basketball and its upcoming, will help people to
understand and appreciate it more. James Naismith, the inventor of the game, said there was a
need for some game that would be interesting, easy to learn, and easy to play in the winter and
by artificial light (Naismith, 33). From these needs, the game of basketball was invented. The
sport grew from that small gym in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to become a sport played
internationally, year round.

Over 26 Million Americans Play Basketball

Number of Participats

20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0

Way of Playing

Another way for basketball to be

enjoyed is through the physical sweat fest on the court itself. From the bounce of the ball to the
snap of the net, many consider this to be the most enjoyable way to engage this sport. According

Strong 3

to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association over 26 million Americans play basketball (Over
26 Million). See the graph above. Of these 26 million participants, nearly 6.5 million of them
are women. Along with this, participants over the age of 35 make up 6.2 million of the
basketball playing population. Since its creation, basketball has greatly increased in popularity.
For example, the second most played sport in America is baseball with a total around 14.6
million players, a little over half the amount of basketball players. From these statistics, it can be
inferred that basketball is widely considered a fun sport to play. The International Basketball
Federation, has also helped to prove that this sport is indeed considered fun by many through
many of their own stats. From their records, in 1991 basketball reached a total of 350 million
participants worldwide. That number grew to 400 million by 2002, and 450 million by 2003.
Even though so many people play basketball just for fun, there are many important things that
can be learned from playing the game that we must not pass over.
Basketball is so much more than throwing a sphere at a circle. There are intricacies
unnoticed by many that make the game so much more. Basketball is about teamwork and
collaboration. As seen from the quote shown to the right by John Wooden, basketball teaches
great things to its participants. It teaches them, rather than to put yourself above others at their
loss, you must give up what you want for the betterment of the team, and as Wooden says so well
at the end, thats teamwork. Playing basketball is all about the team. Being on a team means
making friends. Through hard work basketball builds character and ethics, such as friendship,
teamwork, and honor. Basketball is emotional for both players and fans. At times it may seem
merely a matter of team vs. team, but it is so much more than, a mentality of us vs. them.
Basketball is a building tool, an outlet. It is a way of bringing people together. Looking at more
stats from Derek Thompsons article from The Atlantic company website, the chart to the left

Strong 4

shows some of the demographics of

basketball fans. It can be seen

how well it brings people together in terms of numbers. It involves both genders, encompasses
all age groups, unites ethnicities and eliminates needless factions. It is more than a game.
Basketball is much more than a sport. It has influenced the marketplace, making a
struggling shoe company a readily recognized word and emblem, Nike with its famous swoosh.
It has played major roles in Hollywood in several feature films. Even the cartoon Space Jam
made Michael Jordan, and along with him, basketball known among the youngest of fans. The
sport even touches music, particularly hip hop. And hip hop influences basketball as well.
Basketball references appear in lyrics such as I like slam dunks, take me to the hoop my favorite
play is alley-oop from the song Basketball by Kurtis Blow (50 Greatest). Hip hop affects
basketball as well, as evidenced in the way players dress and talk.

Strong 5

Another way for the sport to be enjoyed is

by watching it. From the hard stadium seats, to
your soft cushion at home, the game is
entertaining. Watching the sport, just like playing
it, also has many aspects. There is the simple just
sit and watch method. There is the role of the
super fan. Look at the chart above. Although the NFL Super Bowl is by far the most viewed
sporting event, the NBA Finals is a close second. With watching a game comes many other
components of entertainment. These include fantasy leagues, and friendly bets which can
heighten your experience while watching the game.
Basketball may be the number one played sport in America, but that does not
mean that the physical participation will appeal to all people. Basketball can and should be
enjoyed in many different ways. If everybody is busy playing basketball, then there would be
nobody left to watch the games. Similarly watching and playing the game of basketball would
be a lot easier if people took the time to learn a little about it first. Although it is a complex sport
with many details, one need not have a perfect knowledge of the game in order to enjoy it
through these methods. It can also be experience on Wall Street and through earbuds. Basketball
has something for everyone from the artist to the business tycoon. It is a sport made for men,
women, and children of all nationalities.

Strong 6
Works Cited

"Over 26 Million Americans Play Basketball." Over 26 Million Americans Play Basketball. Web. 27
Jan. 2015. <https://www.sfia.org/press/433_Over-26-Million-Americans-Play-Basketball>.

(John Wooden quote) https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?

q=tbn:ANd9GcQwtJl0vdjdt4LmwISVj2nSo8SH1TLrOs0gKWoK7a4mdwVzvv
Everybody Hates Chris. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2007. Film.
Naismith, James. Basketball: Its Origin and Development. Bison Books ed. Lincoln: U of Nebraska,
1996. Print
Scott, Jordan. "Why I Hate Basketball." The College Tailgate. 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.
<http://thecollegetailgate.com/2014/03/20/why-i-hate-basketball/>.
Thompson, Derek. "Which Sports Have the Whitest/Richest/Oldest Fans?" The Atlantic. Atlantic
Media Company, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/which-sports-have-the-whitest-richest-oldestfans/283626/>.
Web. 2 Feb. 2015. <http://dimemage.com/2013/11/50-greatest-basketball-references-hip-hop/>.
"Fcom - About FIBA - Quick Facts." FIBA.COM. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/FIBA/quicFact/p/openNodeIDs/962/seINodeID/962/quicFacts.htm
l>.