Questions about the sport of basketball in general. For the American professional basketball league, see [nba].
5
votes
2answers
135 views
What is the motivation behind using the 2-3-2 (vs. 2-2-1-1-1) series format for the NBA Finals?
Each conference round in the NBA playoffs is a best-of-seven series played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format...or the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7 while their opponent hosts games 3, ...
-4
votes
0answers
50 views
Why do males from the USA collect their sneakers? [closed]
I mean I am from EU and I cannot understand why men from the USA collect their sneakers?
Here in EU you have several pair of shoes, that after a year or years of usage you throw in the garbage can if ...
-2
votes
1answer
73 views
3-step shot in basketball [closed]
After the last bounce, followed by two further steps, then a shot to hoop before the end of the third step.
Is this action or the whole process called 3-step shot?
1
vote
1answer
42 views
Holding the ball up with two hands
I will like to know if it is a foul to take the ball from a player who picks the ball from a rebound and holds it up with two hands? Can the ball be taken from his hands even if they are held high up ...
2
votes
1answer
70 views
Basketball Throw In
When is the ball technically in play? In other words, can the defensive team 'steal' the ball from the inbounding players hands?
A ref allowed this to open stating the ball was over the baseline and ...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
What happens if a basketball stops on the rim as time expires?
In Game 5 of the first-round playoff series between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers, Tony Allen's layup attempt stopped on the back of the rim:
...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
What are the differences between the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award?
College basketball has two primary "player of the year" awards: the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award.
The Wooden Award is "presented annually to the outstanding collegiate basketball Player of the ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
How many people can “cut down the net”?
It's traditional for winning college basketball teams to "cut down the net" when they reach the Final Four. But just how many people (players, coaches, staff) are allowed to cut down the next?
I.e. ...
7
votes
1answer
84 views
too many players on the court
During this past season, my coach subbed in a player from the bench and that player did a poor job of communicating who was to be subbed out. This resulted in our team having six players on the court ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
What is dribbling?
What does it mean dribbling the ball. I've always thought, you need to perform one dribble to every step you make and also you cannot have both feet above the ground at the same time. But I've seen ...
3
votes
3answers
104 views
Should a point guard consider who is he passing to?
In basketball, should a point guard distinguish who is he passing to? I mean, when I play point guard, I'm always trying to pass to any of my teammate that is open (so that everyone gets involved and ...
3
votes
2answers
119 views
Importance of a pre-shot routine
Before shots in golf and before free-throws in basketball, I notice players have a distinctive series of actions before setting up to hit the golf ball/shoot the free throw.
A few examples of ...
2
votes
1answer
164 views
What are the differences between indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor basketballs?
At times, when I play basketball, I notice some basektballs are labeled as "indoor", "outdoor", or "indoor/outdoor".
What are the differences between indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor basketballs? ...
0
votes
0answers
171 views
The differences between European and American basketball [closed]
I have a speech that requires an interview about the differences between European(international) and American (NBA) basketball so I just need someone that has some sort of credibility to answer 4 ...
0
votes
2answers
111 views
Los Angeles Lakers info? [closed]
When did the Lakers come into existence? when did they win their first championship and when did they become the lakers?
5
votes
1answer
80 views
Salary Cap and Bird's Rights
Let's say a team that is over the luxury tax trades away a player for whom they had Bird's Rights. They receive a player on a 1-year contract worth $7 million. This new player did not have Bird's ...
5
votes
3answers
265 views
How to make 100 free throws in a row
One day during shooting I thought about how many consecutive free throws I could make. It ended in a bet (mainly with myself) that I could do 100 in a row by the end of the season. Working on that ...
7
votes
3answers
751 views
What are the differences between the Power Forward and Center positions?
What are the differences between the Power Forward (PF) and Center (C) positions?
Several PF/C players, such as Tim Duncan, have been considered a power forward and/or a center. Based on the ...
1
vote
1answer
125 views
Jersey name for World Peace
I am new to watching the NBA. I saw the name World Peace as #15 for the Lakers. However, I saw highlights of the same player, number, and team with the name Artest. Why these names? What is the ...
-2
votes
1answer
190 views
Jersey number for Lebron James [closed]
Lebron James has played in NBA with only two jersey numbers - 23 and 6. Why these numbers? What is the history behind these numbers?
1
vote
2answers
238 views
Jersey number for Kobe Bryant [closed]
Kobe Bryant has played in NBA with only two jersey numbers - 8 and 24. Why these numbers? What is the history behind these numbers?
8
votes
2answers
166 views
In the game of basketball, does the net have any part of points scored?
In the game of basketball, does the ball just have to go through the hoop for the basket to count or does it have to pass through the net as well? I know this is an extreme rarity, but what happened ...
8
votes
2answers
566 views
In college sports, does a redshirt have to sit a whole season?
More specifically to college football or even basketball, is a player who is redshirted allowed to play at all during their redshirt season?
5
votes
2answers
476 views
“Hand is part of the ball” variant
According to NBA rules,
The hand is considered 'part of the ball' when it is in contact with
the ball and contact with a players hand when it is in contact with
the ball is not a foul.
Now I ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Jersey numbers in NCAA basketball
I noticed that jersey numbers in NCAA basketball are confined between 0-5 (for both digits). There seem to be no jerseys with numbers between 6-9 (for both digits). I can imagine the practice of ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What do composite basketballs offer over leather basketballs?
What do composite basketballs offer over leather basketballs? I notice the designs are slightly different, and composite basketballs would not have to be broken in and can maintain itself better than ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
If the basketball goes through bottom of rim and re-enters, is it a basket?
Several years ago I was playing in an adult basketball league and a player took a bad shot that entered through the bottom of the hoop, hit the backboard and re-entered the hoop. The referee counted ...
0
votes
0answers
424 views
How much money USA would award the men's basketball team if USA team won gold? [closed]
I was shock when i beginning to participate in US training as a athelete while glancing at the gold medal monetary reward, that is 20,000 USD per gold medal. So how much will the atheletes on the ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views
What happens when a player loses a shoe during the course of the game?
What is the ruling about losing a shoe when the ball is still in play?
Can the player still play or does he need to get it back before continue playing?
3
votes
1answer
231 views
Is there NBA player who won triple MVP in one season?
Is there NBA player who won the all 3 NBA MVP awards?
this includes Regular Season MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star MVP award in the same season?
2
votes
4answers
139 views
Basketball drills for youth
I was asked to run two stations (two full-courts) of basketball with two groups per station for a youth camp. The ages of the youth are between 10-13. I will be dealing with approximately 15-30 kids.
...
7
votes
4answers
559 views
Has a team ever lost on purpose to get better draft picks?
As much as I am into sports, I really have no knowledge about basketball, perhaps due to the low-profile of the sport in the UK.
However, today I've been reading up a little on the subject and have a ...
-1
votes
1answer
196 views
Why has Steve Nash moved to the LA Lakers in sign-and-trade deal?
Congratulations to Steve Nash on his move to Lakers via a sign and trade!
His contract with the Suns has expired so I don't understand why he moved in a sign-and-trade deal.
Why resign and move in ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Differences between NBA and European/FIBA/Olympic basketball rules
I recall about zone defense and travelling being major differences but I'm sure there are more small differences.
4
votes
2answers
71 views
Why do many franchises sign long-term TV deals
Many teams sign long-term local TV deals of 10 years or more. Many times these deals end up being poor and below market-value after a few years. The Pittsburg Pirates deal being a good example (only ...
5
votes
1answer
249 views
Do basketball players tend to improve at shooting free-throws over the course of their career?
Today on Khan Academy there was a probability tutorial on how to figure out the likelihood of a given player making 10 consecutive free-throws.
Apparently Lebron's career FT% is right around 75%. A ...
6
votes
1answer
90 views
Coaching youth division D basketball
I've committed to coaching in a young kids (age 5-6) basketball league. This is pretty beginner so there's no keeping track of score, the main idea is for the kids to have fun and learn at the same ...
6
votes
3answers
6k views
Is taking a step before dribbling the ball a travel?
I've recently started playing basketball and was wondering about some of the comments made about this (pretty cool) NBA commercial featuring LeBron James. It looks like he takes 1 step after receiving ...
10
votes
2answers
889 views
Is it legal to dribble above shoulder height?
I heard that while dribbling the ball, if the ball rises above shoulder level then it is a turnover. I don't have any idea about this rule, that's why I am asking this question on this site. thanks.
-7
votes
2answers
398 views
Why odd number of players? [closed]
Almost all the games and sports involve odd number of players.
And most the games involve 11 players, eg: football,cricket,hockey etc.
And other games like basketball and all have 5 which is also odd ...
10
votes
1answer
656 views
What does the 'B' mean on a basketball scoreboard?
I was looking at pictures of scoreboards today, and I noticed that some of them have 'B's on the boards:
I've never noticed those before. What do they mean?
6
votes
3answers
522 views
What is the “Prisoner” salute basketball players perform?
After a good play, like scoring a big basket, some basketball players perform a salute that seems inspired by The Prisoner: looking through a circle made with their thumb and forefinger with one eye, ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Basketball Tip-off possession and subsequent possession
To begin a basketball game, a tip-off is typically used to determine the first possession of the game. Then, in the second half, the team that did not start with the ball in the first half gets the ...
5
votes
1answer
89 views
What does it take to play in the NIT?
According to this Wikipedia article, the selection process was changed in 2006. According to the article, teams are no longer required to have a .500 record and conference champions will receive an ...
8
votes
1answer
485 views
What is an NBA Rodeo Road Trip?
Recently I have heard sports broadcasters referring to the San Antonio Spurs as being on a "Nine Game Rodeo Road Trip", but I'm not sure what that term means or where it came from. The Spurs are on a ...
8
votes
2answers
486 views
What is the advantage of wearing polyester for basketball?
Basketball uniforms are usually made out of polyester. What advantage does polyester have over, say, cotton for playing basketball? I personally did not feel any different whether wearing polyester or ...
30
votes
4answers
4k views
Is it legal to throw an alley-oop to yourself in a real game?
In this video, a college basketball player steals the ball, races down court, and avoids the defender by throwing a pass to himself off the backboard.
...
8
votes
1answer
504 views
Skip a media timeout in NCAA basketball?
In NCAA basketball, there are media timeouts at the first whistle after the 16:00, 12:00, 8:00 and 4:00 minute marks of each half.
What happens if there is no whistle from the four minute mark until ...
10
votes
1answer
906 views
In NCAA Basketball what does it mean to be 1 and 1?
I'm a bit unfamiliar with foul rules. Correct me if my assumption is wrong. So a team has to give a certain number of fouls up a half before they're 1 and 1?
Does that mean each point or free throw ...
12
votes
1answer
215 views
How are individual turnovers determined on errant passes?
When determining turnovers for a given player, how exactly are they determined? Wikipedia defines turnovers as
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a ...
