Years ago, Marijuana was a taboo. You couldn’t just go around discussing such a subject. As a matter of fact, even consuming the drug privately was controversial. Today, more than 30 states have legalized cannabis in one way or the other, which is why the subject is once again brought up on the NBA table, and might have reverberations on many years of NBA history.
Marijuana Is Not New to the NBA
During the ’90s, many big players were either known for smoking marijuana, or have been linked to it in various indirect ways, including Allen Iverson, Gary Payton, and Damon Stoudamire. Back then, even former NBA player Richard Dumas stated that there wouldn’t be no NBA if the league ever tested for pot.
David Stern, in an attempt to clear out the league’s name, put a new policy in place during the 2000s, one that forced players to undergo marijuana testing using the players’ health and safety as the reason. 420 players underwent the test, out of which, only 12 tested positive. As the policy was new, the only punishment for the players was to enter an aftercare program.
Stern was happy with the low percentage and the results of the testing, so the marijuana subject started collecting dust on the NBA’s shelf.
What Is the NBA Drug Policy Today?
Today, the NBA’s drug policy is nearly-mature. Upon testing for THC, a player is considered positive if the sample contains 15ng/ml.
The NBA’s substance abuse policy requires a player who violates the procedure to enter the Marihuana program. Should he/she break the policy a second time, he’ll have to pay $25.000 in fines and re-enter the marijuana program. The third violation results in a five-game suspension and the player has to re-enter the marijuana program. If the player violates the policy any extra time, he’ll get suspended for five games longer than his/her immediately preceding suspension.
While the punishment may seem aggressive for an average citizen, it’s actually not that big of a deal for NBA players, considering that the average salary for a player in the league is $6 million and that a single season includes 82 games, making the $25.000 fine and the five-game suspension seem like measly numbers.
Does the NBA Need a New Drug Policy?
Marijuana still falls under the NBA’s banned substance list. Knowing that over 30 states have legalized cannabis over the past years, many believe that the NBA should allow pot consumption within reason.
Even David Stern, the former league commissioner that initiated the drug testing in the 2000’s season, stated that marijuana should be removed from the banned substance list after watching a documentary that convinced him that marijuana has many medical uses.
Adam Silver, the current commissioner of the NBA, stated that he has no plans to remove cannabis from the banned substance list.
Nevertheless, he still has an open mind about the subject, mentioning that he believes that marijuana should be regulated the same way pain medications are if it’s going to be used for that purpose.
Other NBA officials who believe the benefits of marijuana include Michelle Roberts, the executive director of the Players Association. Michelle isn’t all in for removing pot from the banned substance list though, as she’s worried about players getting arrested for possession by some fed claiming that it’s against the law.
What Does the Future Hold for the NBA Drug Policy?
Considering the proven health benefits of cannabis, the NBA may be working on a new drug policy in which marijuana is not a banned substance but rather a pain medication that can help players relieve pain and recover faster through reasonable, regulated consumption.
So, you’ve already learned all about your skills and weaknesses, and you’re ready to answer the million-dollar question; which position should you choose as a basketball player?
Short answer? It depends. That’s why we decided to break down every position in the court. That way, you’ll be able to pick what better suits your skills and qualities. Keep in mind that basketball is an ever-evolving game. Nothing is set on the stone in this sport, so be prepared to adjust your skills and abilities according to how your position changes. Nevertheless, some fundamentals never change, so we’ll focus on those in our roundup.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s cut to the chase, shall we?
Which NBA Basketball Position is Best for You?
Five positions rule the basketball court, which are the point guard, shooting guard, center,, small forward, and power forward positions, each of which requires a specific skill set and demand certain role and ability from the player.
Point Guard (PG)
As a point guard player, you’ll be expected to take care of several roles and focus on certain things. Even if you have other strong skills and abilities, you’ll need to forget about them and focus on what’s necessary.
Why, you might ask?
Because you’re the coach’s right hand on the court. While the coach takes care of the out-game matters, such as the team creation process, the strategy, and the philosophy, you’ll be required to take the matter into your own hands in-game.
Here, communication is key.
To be an excellent point guard, you need to be able to talk, shout, and even scream on your teammates during the game. You need to be vocal and voice your strategy on everyone else; otherwise, no one’s going to listen. If you don’t trust your ability to talk whenever it’s necessary, maybe you’re better off taking another position.
That being said, communication won’t make for nothing if you’re not there to communicate, and for that, you’ll need to move, A LOT. Remember, you’re the head of the team on the floor. You need to strategize as you go and move around as much as possible to get your directions across wherever they’re needed. Of course, with movement comes to speed, so you also need to move fast.
To round up, communication, movement, and speed. If you have those skills and abilities within your skillset, you're qualified for the PG position.
Shooting Guard (SG)
As a shooting guard, your primary goal (pun intended) is to score for the team, regardless of your location on the court. You need to shoot the ball as good as possible no matter where’s you’re located.
The question is; what makes for a good goal scorer?
Two things: strength and size. The moment the other teams know that you’re the shooting guard, you become the primary target of their defense. To overcome that, you need to be able to fight your way through stronger and bigger players.
Another skill that you need to master to become a Shooting Guard is ball handling. You need to participate actively in team rebounding and other critical moments of the game, as you’ll get your fair share of ball handling time, just like the point guard.
Of course, with ball handling come shooting percentages. You must produce shooting percentages all across the battlefield, including three-pointers and mid-range shots as well as scoring in the paint under heavy contact. Spot up shooting must be turned into buckets on a regular basis as well.
Since basketball is ever evolving, there’s a new middle ground position – known as the combo guard – that combines the skills of both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Combo guards are generally more skilled and better at handling the ball.
Taller shooting guards, on the other hand, lean towards the skills of small forwards. Such players are known as swingmen, and they can switch between the two positions with ease.
To round up, the shooting guard position requires strength, size, effective ball handling, and reasonable decision-making process even under pressure. Do you have it in you to become a shooting guard?
Center (C)
The center is, well, the center. It’s the ideal position for tall players, strong dudes, and those capable of blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and scoring in the paint with ease. If those characteristics are within your skill set, the center is waiting for you!
If point guards are the ones responsible for the strategic aspect of the game, centers are the ones that dominate the physical part. If you choose the center position, it means that you’re the tallest, strongest player in the team. In other words, you need to protect the paint and take care of the defense. Additionally, you need to fight for offensive rebounds, which lead to new scoring chances and opportunities.
Unlike other positions, speed and quickness aren’t as important to centers, as your movement will be limited to setting pick&rolls for smaller guys in the center. Those milk cups you gauged as a kid will finally pay off!
Again, strength is critical here, so be prepared for some serious physical game. Centers play under heavy contact. Sometimes, you’ll need to wrestle with your opponent for the position. Literally. If that’s something that you want to avoid when playing basketball, the center is not for you.
One catch to the center position: centers will face the opposite direction of the basket most of the time. (are you starting to regret that milk yet?)
Nevertheless, the center is still a great position, and it can hook you up with a lot of fun and a bunch of spectacular moments during your career. Just take a look at DeAndre Jordan’s performance, and the perks will be obvious.
To round up, if you’re the strongest, tallest dude in the team and you’re willing to go all physical, you may want to consider getting into the center position.
Small Forward (SF)
Small forwards are the most versatile players on the team. They play all around the court, making them an integral part.
On the one hand, as a small forward, you need to be comfortable with rebounding and protecting the paint, as well as knocking down three-pointers from the perimeter or the corner.
On the other hand, you must be able to defend and guard every position except centers. For that, a long, athletic body is essential.
To sum it up, to be a good small forward, you need to set screens for your shooters and point guards while being ready to switch to rebounding and running in transition. Mr. all-in-one much?
While the name “small forward” may indicate that the position is not as important as the others, it’s actually one that many great names held, ones that revolutionized the position and how we look at it. Those names include Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant. Those are players that show fantastic ball handling skills and have the ability to create strong opportunities for all of their teammates all while being active on the boards and able to block shots and defend the basket fiercely.
Thanks to their ability to keep the ball longer than other players, the aforementioned players crafted a new position for themselves, one that combines the small forward and point guard positions, which is known as the point forward position.
To round up, versatility is key for small forwards. Are you willing to take different roles to be among the greats?
Power Forward (PF)
Tall players (height between 6’8’’ and 7’), assemble!
Defining the power forward post is not as easy as doing so with the other positions, as it’s ever changing and evolving.
Throughout the years, the definition of the PF position included a great number of characteristics and requirements. In the following paragraphs, we’ll try to break down what you need in your skillset to become a successful power forward.
First, you need a balance between strength and speed. As a power forward, you must be strong enough to guard other players in the post, while being speed and mobile enough to challenge attackers from the perimeter.
Also, as a power forward, you need to
Provide solid rebounding
Protect the paint
Participate in pick&rolls to create more scoring opportunities
To be clear, there is no exact skill set that defines the power forward post. The position is too versatile for that. Today, there are two variants of the power position.
On the one hand, there are the classic power forwards, such as Karl Malone and Tim Duncan, who are strong players that are more comfortable close to the basket and in the mid-range area. Traditional power forwards share many characteristics with centers, and they can switch between the two positions seamlessly.
On the other hand, there are the modern power forwards, also known as “stretch fours”, such as Draymond Green. Such players spend a lot of time on the perimeter as three-point shooting is required if you want to be a good stretch four.
To round up, the power forward position is for the second taller players on the team, and it requires versatility, strength, and mobility.
Final Thoughts on Basketball Positions
As a basketball player, your position will be one of your main characteristics, that’s why it’s essential to find what better suits your skills, cover your weak points, and highlights your advantages on the court.
To make a wise choice, you need to practice every aspect of the game until you find the position that makes you feel comfortable.
After choosing your position, make sure to study the best players that play in it. Discover what makes them so good at what they do, and what’s stopping them from becoming even better.
Good luck in choosing your position, and remember, it’s all about the fun!
Spike Lee’s He Got Game is a multilayered masterpiece that needs to be dissected. It looks like a motivational sports movie at first glance; but upon a closer look, it slowly turns into the dramatic storytelling of an incredible father and son tragedy. As it tells the story, it paints a background that is rife with a rich picture of the African American experience in modern society.
Who is Jesus Shuttlesworth?
Jesus Shuttlesworth is a fictional character from the Spike Lee Directed movie He Got Game. He’s a high school basketball phenom from Coney Island confronted by the difficult choice to either go to college or jump directly into the NBA. In the movie, the damaged, conflicted, and real-life NBA star Ray Allen portrays the responsible role of Jesus Shuttlesworth. Although this story isn't a part of NBA history, it's certainly celebrated in NBA and basketball culture.
He’s a damaged character of a boy who had to grow up into a man quickly because of an abusive father who turned into an absentee father due to incarceration. His mother, whom he loved dearly, died in the hands of his father in a domestic altercation.
His sense of responsibility was also tested because when his mom died, and his father was behind bars, he had to take care of his little sister. He essentially skipped the formative years of young adulthood to become both a big brother and a parent to his sister.
Moving from high school straight to the professional league is a decision that not a lot of great players make. Even the arguably the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan felt like he needed to go to college before going pro. Jesus Shuttlesworth, however, is portrayed as once in a lifetime player who can compete at the highest level of the sport at an early age. This talent is a huge anchor for this confusion and conflict. He values education, but at the same time, he values giving his sister and himself the best position to be in the present. Choosing to go to college secures his future; choosing to go for the NBA secures his present. In the movie, he has to choose between the two.
His independence is also in full display. With his decision to go to Big State not for any other factor aside from it being the best choice for himself and his sister is a choice made by a mature and independent young man. He made this decision even without any positive role models in his life.
Was Jesus Shuttlesworth a real person?
While the fictional character is not solely based on one single real-life person, his story is extremely similar to Stephon Marbury’s life story. He came from a similar background in the Coney Island and even went to the same high school as the fictional Jesus Shuttlesworth. He was also faced with the same dilemma after he led his team to a national championship. Other individuals that came from Coney Island, Brooklyn also claim that the story was about their life. So, it seems that multiple similar real-life stories are similar to Jesus Shuttlesworth's story.
Upon looking deeper into the character and the number of people who claim that it's their story, there seems to be a pattern. In a way, Jesus Shuttlesworth is the story of every African American man who has to choose between what is best for himself and what is best for the others around him because those are the only two choices available. This is an important aspect of the film because more than a basketball movie, it’s also a film about the African American experience in the American society wherein choices are not plenty.
How did Jesus Shuttlesworth’s mom die?
His mother died at the hands of his father. As they were having a marital dispute, Jake Shuttlesworth, his father, shoved his mother in anger. This resulted in an accidental fall where she hits her head on the floor and dies due to the trauma. This is the reason why Jake is in prison.
It's a pivotal event that led to a dramatic transformation in both father and son. It seems that her death was the catalyst for their becoming better human beings. It propelled Jesus to become more assertive and generally, a stronger person who does not quit when faced with adversity. With Jake, on the other hand, her death results in his becoming more of a caring person. While we don't see this in his approach to Jesus, this is on full display in his interactions with a random maltreated prostitute in Dakota Burns. Her death, it seemed, turned Jake's heart a little bit softer – far from the tough love kind of heart that led his son to loathe him even more.
"Basketball is like poetry in motion" explained:
In the movie, Jesus says, “Basketball is like poetry in motion. Just comin' down the court, you got a defender in your way. You take him to the left. You take him back to the right. And he's fallin' back, and you just "J" right in his face. And then you look at him, and then you say, "What?"
In any sport, perfection in playing the game is demanded of the athlete. This much is portrayed by the way Jake trained Jesus before he was incarcerated for killing his wife. In the earlier scenes of the movie, he trained his son not to let anger get the best out of him on the court. This elimination of anger as a factor in the way he plays is a testament to how seriously Jake takes the game of basketball. In Jesus' line, he describes how, in basketball, one needs to be able to manipulate the movements of his defenders to score effectively. Anger, as Jake showed, is a way to manipulate people into making mistakes on the court.
There is, therefore, not a place for anger in the basketball court. Then, a basketball game is a place of perfection where moves had been practiced countless of times and players had been trained to execute plays to perfection.
Furthermore, the sport of basketball itself demands perfection from the competing teams. Each player has a role to play. Victory, most often, is anchored on the player's ability to play their role perfectly as the coach designed it.
Like basketball, poetry demands perfection. The limitedness of the word count forces the poet to make use of every single word in an exacting way. Each line has to interact correctly with the last one to get the message across to the readers. Each word plays a role in making the reader see the bigger picture. This demand for perfection from every small part makes basketball poetry in motion.
What college did Jesus Shuttlesworth go to?
The most inspiring aspect of the movie is how he chose to go to Big State just because it’s the best choice for both himself and his little sister. It provided them both with a good education and an excellent chance of getting into the NBA in the future.
The absence of his father’s influence on his decision is what makes this choice so admirable for such a young man. In a way, it's a display of what his father has been teaching him all along. At the beginning of the film, Jake was teaching him not to let anger affect his game. Whether it was intentional or just a coincidence, Jake’s request for Jesus to go to Big State was a deeper lesson in not letting emotions dictate his choices.
Jesus Shuttlesworth and his relationship with Lala
Spike Lee’s depiction of women almost always leaves feminists with something to be angry about. This movie is not the one to save Lee for the feminists. For one, Martha Shuttlesworth seemed like a helpless housewife in the movie. She’s a stereotypical doting mother who shouts out from the apartment building window to Jesus in the basketball court when it’s time for supper. She’s a generally submissive wife who, in domestic squabbles, get the brunt of a violent exchange with her husband. Her submissiveness ultimately led her to her death.
Lala Bonilla, Jesus’ girlfriend, is the complete opposite. She’s a strong woman who can handle herself among men albeit in her way. For example, she cheats with D’Andre and admits it to Jesus. She enjoys being pampered and being treated like a queen. In one scene, she even has her nail polish done by the budding basketball superstar. She relishes in having the attention of the man whose focus everyone else wants to command.
However, from the very first scene, she shares with Jesus, an air of uncertainty surrounds their relationship. She seemed more interested in Jesus’ future than his present. In her very first line, she prods him about his impending decision. Just like the coaches and scouts, she was interested in his potentials and not in his present well-being.
While Jesus truly loves Lala as evidenced by his actions, certain aspects of their relationship don't seem to conform to the traditional boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. Aside from the peculiarities already mentioned above, Lala functions more as a gatekeeper than a girlfriend. "He's a friend of the family," she says of a talent scout who wants to get a sales pitch through to Jesus.
He Got Game storylines and plot breakdowns:
He Got Game is one of Spike Lee’s most loved films. In it, he doesn’t only paint the picture of an extremely gifted athlete, but that of a more relatable son whose father committed a heinous mistake. Jake’s accidental killing of his wife is a mistake that will haunt both men for as long as they live. It’s a pivotal moment for the two men whose lives changed immediately after it happened.
The event’s indelible mark is evident in Jesus’ refusal to forgive his father even if his sister already has. This event triggered him to become the man of the house both figuratively and literally. As he lost his mother, he also lost his father. He had to grow up into a man quickly to be able to take care of his little sister due to their absence.
Jake, on the other hand, has experienced a transformation of his own. Shown in the stark difference of his treatment between his wife and Dakota Burns, a prostitute whom he befriends and treats nicely.
The game of basketball ultimately reunited them. The same game that initially planted resentment in Jesus' heart which eventually became full-blown loathing when Jake killed his mother. This is where Spike Lee’s love of basketball shows the best. He uses it as a unifying agent between a father and son who might as well be oceans apart.
The NBA has an incredibly interesting history, rich with details and stories. We did our best to break down the important moments over the last 70 years of NBA history, starting with its inception in 1946:
The Foundation and Merging of BAA – NBL (1946-1956)
The foundation of the Basketball Association of America occurred in 1946 when two big hockey arenas in the Midwestern and Northeastern Canada and the United States merged together. The first game was hosted in Toronto, Canada by Toronto Huskies that played against New York Knickerbockers. This was regarded as the first official NBA game in the history of the league. There were some earlier attempts for the creation of professional basketball leagues in North America, such as the NBL and American Basketball League.
However, the BAA is definitely considered the first successful attempt, while Ossie Schectman, a player of the Knickerbockers created the first basket. The BAA was the initial league with big games in large national arenas based in main cities. In the beginning, the quality of games was not much better in the BAA than in other competing leagues or major independent teams like the Harlem Globetrotters, for example. Baltimore Bullets transferred to the BAA in 1948 and won that league in the same season, while the NBL champion of the same year won the BAA title next year.
Other NBL clubs from Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Rochester, and Fort Wayne moved to the BAA before the beginning of 1948-1949 season. Their decision help the establishment of professional basketball league with merging of collegian clubs.
Several clubs including Denver, Waterloo, Anderson, Syracuse, Tri-Cities, and Sheboygan that remained in the NBL joined the BAA on August 3, 1949. The change to the current National Basketball Association was done with an intention to support clubs to avoid any potential legal troubles they could have because of the merging with the new league. But the governing body stayed the same for the new league too.
The National Basketball Association claims the history of the BAA as its own. It considers the merging with NBL clubs as a natural expansion and refuses to recognize old NBL statistics, records and data. There were 17 franchises within the new league based in a combination of small and big cities in these two countries. It includes small gymnasiums and big arenas simultaneously. The NBA moved down to 11 franchise in 1950, but this process continued until 1954 when the league consolidated at the smallest size of 8 franchises in total.
All of these clubs remain in the NBA until today and the list includes Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors, Tri-Cities, Syracuse Nationals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, Blackhawks, and Rochester Royals. The smallest city franchises were intended to move to bigger cities with a larger population during the procedure of the contraction. For instance, the Hawks moved from Tri-Cities to Milwaukee during 1951, and then again relocated to St. Louis in 1955. The Rochester Royals, for example, shifted from Rochester to Cincinnati during 1957, while the Pistons moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957.
Wataru Misaka, a Japanese-American player was the first one who broke down the ethnicity barrier by playing for the New York Knicks in the 1947-1948 season. He stayed the single non-white NBA player until 1950 when the first African-American Harold Hunter signed the contract with the Washington Capitals. Still, Harold Hunter was removed from the club during training camp, but a few other African-American players played in the NBA later that year. Nathaniel Clinton from the Knicks, for example, was one of them as well as Earl Lloyd from the Washington Capitals, and Chuck Cooper from the Celtics. The Minneapolis Lakers won five championships during that period under the leadership of George Mikan who played at the position of the center. It was the beginning of establishing the first league's dynasty. The NBA experts introduced the 24-second shot clock in an attempt to support shooting while discouraging stalling at the same time. The team has a time limit of 24 seconds to complete the action, otherwise, the ball is going to be given to the opponent's team after the end of the time frame.
NBA Expansion and Competition with Celtics' Domination (1956-1979)
Bill Russes, rookie center, started to play in the Boston Celtics in 1957. The club already had some great team members such as Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach and was at the path to take the eleventh title in thirteen seasons. Wilt Chamberlain started playing in the NBA with the Warriors during 1959. He quickly became an important individual basketball star a year later. His new single-game records in rebounding and scoring are archived in NBA history until this very day. The rivalry between Chamberlain and Russell is known as one of the biggest rivalries in the American's sports team history.
Celtics dominated through the 1960s. With the leadership of coach Red Auerbach as well as players Bill Russell and Bob Cousy on the playground, Boston won 8 NBA championships from 1959 to 1966. The winning line is the greatest in the entire NBA history. Still, they did not succeed to get 1966-1967, but they again won the next season and repeated the victory in 1969. It means they won 9 of ten championships from 1960 to 1970.
This was an important period for the further development of the NBA league following the move of the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the St. Louis Hawks to Atlanta, and the Syracuse Nationals shifts to Philadelphia with the introduction of the first expansion franchises. In 1961, the Chicago Packers now knows as Washington Wizards, started as the ninth NBA club. The league extended from nine to fourteen clubs from 1966 to 68, adding the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, San Diego Rockets, and Seattle SuperSonics.
The foundation of the American Basketball Association in 1967 was a new outside danger for the NBA. Both leagues started a bidding war. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the most famous college basketball star of that period that moved to the NBA. But Rick Barry, a leading scorer in the NBA, went to the ABA together with 4 veteran referees; John Vanak, Joe Gushue, Norm Drucker, and Earl Storm.
Alan Siegel, a supervisor of the Major League Baseball logo design in 1968, made a new logo for NBA influenced by the MLB's. It contains the silhouette of the famous Jerry West formed on a picture created by Wen Roberts, but NBA officials did not confess any direct connection with between a particular player and picture because their main intention was to institutionalize, not to individualize this subject. The logo has become a such an enormous symbol of the league's identity and its licensing system that they want to avoid identification with any single player. This exceptional logo was officially introduced in 1971 and has remained a focal point of the league's identity until today. Still, a small change of the typeface on the wordmark occurred two years ago.
In the 1970s, the ABA managed to sign several important contracts with big basketball stars of that time, such as Virginia Squires and Julius Erving. The conditions allowed clubs to make contracts in part with college undergraduates. The NBA developed quickly during these years with an intention to connect the most viable basketball centers and cities. The NBA jumped from 9 to 18 franchise from 1966 to 74. It was 100% percent growth that signified a great professional success. The Clevland Cavaliers, Buffalos Braves, now known as Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers all took their first roles extending the league to seventeen. The New Orleans Jazz came the last one, and it was the eighteenth franchise in total. But the number of franchises continued to grow following a settlement that provided four new transfers from the ABB to the NBA in 1976 season, reaching the figure at 22 within the league at that period. Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio Spurs were these four new clubs that joined creating new franchises. Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Walt Frazier, Dan Issel, and George Gervin were among the biggest stars of this period. But a decline was encountered at the of the decade, and it included low TV ratings and attendance as well as drug-related player troubles. Some of these were perceived while others were real, and they threatened to obstruct the NBA league.
Growing Popularity of the NBA (1979-1998)
In 1979, the NBA added some rules and game regulations taken from the ABA league, such as three-point field goal starting. It was an interesting innovation for the public. Furthermore, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird started to play in the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, introducing a period of serious rise in the popularity of the NBA league at the home country as well as abroad. The two competed in the 1979 NCAA Division / Basketball Championship Game for the first time. Later, they met again and were rivals during three league finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987, entering the Basketball Hall of Fame together with 11 other NBA players and couches. Lakers and Celtics dominated again the finals of the NBA just like in the 1960s when the 6 league finals competed against each other with a particular highlighting of these two clubs. Johnson was the leader of the Lakers in all the ten seasons during the 1980s. In the same time, Bird was the most prominent player of the Celtics during the five finals when the club took three titles. The NBA introduced one more extension after the Dallas Mavericks joined the league reaching the 23rd franchise total. Later, Larry Bird got the first 3 competitions in three-point shooting. The popularity growth of the NBA league was seen as a global product by David Stern, who was a league commissioner that started at the job position on February 1, 1984.
Michael Jordan joined the NBA in 1984, and the Chicago Bulls were his first club where he debuted. The interesting style and efficient shooting he introduced led to even further growth of the league's popularity in the country and abroad. It was a trigger for new cities to ask for their own NBA clubs and four of them succeeded with the intention. Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic were four new teams that entered the NBA reaching the figure of the total 27 franchises within the league. As leaders, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were the most credible for the Bulls success in winning two three-peats during 8 years within 1991-1998 seasons. The Detroit Pistons were led by guard Isiah Thomas and coach Chuck Daly when they won the back-to-back during 1989 and 1990 seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston Rockets when they won the same type of the titles in 1994 and 95 seasons.
The well-known Dream Team from the Olympic games 1992 contained Michael Jordan, Johnson, Bird, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Patrik Ewing, David Robinsons, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Christian Laettner, John Stockton, and Karl Malone as players. They were chosen to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, all of them on the roster, except for Christian Laettner. Three couches were chosen to the same hale of fame among the selection of four couches.
The NBA league extended its operations to Canada in 1995 with the incorporation of the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. The second team moved to Memphis in 2001, and the Toronto Raptors stayed in Canada as the only team from that country.
The women's NBA league was also created in 1996 and is now known as the Women National Basketball Association or WNBA.
The NBA stockholders started a lockout that lasted 6 months and 11 days and was completed on January 18, 1999. The result was seen in reducing the number of games from 82 to only 50 in a season, while the All-Star-Game was closed. The San Antonio Spurs were the first team that won the initial championship by eliminating the New York Knicks that held the first position. They are the only eighth seed that has managed to come to the finals.
The Modern NBA (1998-present)
The Western Conference took the leading role after the Chicago Bulls championship roster breakup in 1998. Phil Jackson, the Los Angeles Lakers coach in a combination with a couch of the San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich achieve thirteen finals in sixteen seasons winning 10 championships in total. David Robinson and Tim Duncan from the Spurs got the1999 title, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won three succeeding titles for the LA Lakers from the 2000s. The Spurs, however, won a new championship against the Nets in 2003. The Los Angeles Lakers came back to the finals, but they lost against the Detroit Pistons after five games.
When the Spurs won the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in the season of 2004, two new franchises initially appeared in the finals for the first time. Dwyane Wade as the main shooting guard and Shaquille O'Neal, who was transferred from the LA Lakers, led the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks winning four of six games in total. The Spurs and LA Lakers dominated through the next year and the Spurs even achieved a four-game sweep against the Cleveland Cavaliers which played under the leadership of LeBron James. At the end of the championship, the Boston Celtics won over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA's highest-profile competition for the 17th title in the league. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce were the biggest stars which helped Celtic to achieve that victory.
Kobe Bryant came back to the finals with the LA Lakers in 2009 by eliminating the Orlando Magic that was lead by Dwight Howard. Kobe Bryant got the initial Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after 13th seasons under his leadership over the LA Lakers to the initial NBA championships since Shaquille O'Neal left out the club.
Cowboys Stadium was a location where the 2010 NBA All-Star Game took the place in front of the biggest public ever, officially reported 108,713 fans. The Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics continued rivalry from 2008 during the league finals when the clubs met again at the end of the championship. The Lakers, however, took the victory that time by defeating the rivals in the game 7 with the result of 83-79. Prior to the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, there was an interesting summer in the NBA league with the most exciting free agent class of that period. Two of three free agents signed the contract with the Miami Heats that led to the championship with the strongly focused attention to their final successful achievements or faults at bringing home the championship. The Miami Heat under the leadership of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James, succeeded in the intention to win the title against the Dallas Mavericks which presented a rematch of the 2006 finals. Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks that won the series in 6 games, taking the first club's title. Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic, Shawn Marion, and Jason Kidd praised their initial NBA championship.
The NBA league acknowledged a new lockout on July 1, 2011. After the pause of the first several weeks of the championship, the owners and players signed a new mutual agreement on December 8, 2011, starting a shortened version of the 66-game championship. The Miami Heat came back to the finals with the same winning trio. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh played against Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City Thunder. The Miami Heat succeeded to win the in 5 games, taking their second league's title in the last 6 years. The success of the club continued in the next season when they won against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 league finals. However, the Spurs managed to defeat the Heat after five games in the rematches of the following season. David Stern, league's commissioner resigned on February 1, 2014, after precisely 30 years in the office. Adam Silver was his successor at the job position.
LeBron James acknowledged his intention to come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the 2014 finals. He led the club to their 2nd final competition when the Golden State Warriors won after 6 games. A new season finished after a rematch in the 2016 NBA finals when the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors after 7 games total winning the first club's NBA title. The two teams continued to dominate next year as well after Kevin Durant signed a contract for the Warriors as a free club's agent. They took the 3rd NBA finals between the two clubs after 5 games when Durant was named as finals MVP. They repeated the same success in 2018 when they got a 40th straight finals matchup.
LeBron James signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers during the same year.
Worldwide Influence of the NBA
With the pioneers such as Drazen Petrovic from Croatia and Vlade Divac from Serbia who started playing in the NBA in the 1980s, a growing figure of foreign basketball players has come to the United States and Canada from different locations and countries in the world. They mostly started to play in the NBA league where many of them have made remarkable careers with some exceptions, of course. The NBA Europe Tour started in 2006, and from that period of time, the NBA clubs have played exhibition matches against European counterparts from EuroLeague. There were 92 foreign players at the beginning of the 201302014 NBA season that came from 39 different countries and consisting more than 20 percent of the entire league. The start of the 2017-2018 NBA championship saw even a bigger number of 108 foreign basketball player which came from 42 different countries reaching a fourth consecutive year of more than a hundred foreign players and when every NBA club has at least one basketball player from abroad. Igor Kokoskov, a Serbian basketball coach, was hired by the Phoenix Suns in 2018 as their new head who replaced a Canadian coach Jay Triano. The contract with the Suns made Kokoskov the first European coach who became the head coach of the NBA's team.
Additionally, NBA popularity has surged in China:
Other Expansions
The National Basketball Development League, a small connected competition, was created in 2001, and it is known as the NBA G League currently. Before the beginning of this league, some loud rumors suggested the NBA would acquire the Continentals Basketball Association, and rename it as the development league.
The NBA came back to North Carolina following the Charlotte Bobcats formation into an expansion team during 2004, 2 years after the Hornets moved to New Orleans.
Later, the Hornets relocated again to Oklahoma City in 2005 for the next two years due to the damage and troubles caused by Hurricane Katrina. The club, however, came back to New Orleans in 2007.
The first ball game change was released on June 28, 2006, for the following season, presenting the initial improvements on this matter in the last thirty-five years, and only the second change in the last sixty seasons. It was created by Spalding which introduced a new design and different synthetic material that the manufacturer believed provide a better feel, handling, and consistency than the older model. Still, many NBA players were used to the original model, claiming the new one was too muggy when dry and too oily while wet.
On December 11, 2006, the NBA commissioner Stern acknowledged that the league would take back the original leather basketball in use, preceding the 2006-2007 championship. Constant player complains and noted injuries motivated the officials to introduce those changes of the standard microfiber ball. The Players' Association even started a legal action by filing a lawsuit in supporting the claims against the NBA regarding the new ball. The jerseys are created by Nike from the 2017-2018 season which replaced the previous manufacturer, Adidas. All NBA clubs are going to wear this piece of equipment with the Nike logo, only the Charlotte Hornets will have the Jumpman logo, which is connected to Michael Jordan who owns and runs the club.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation started an interrogation on July 19, 2007, about accusations that Tim Donaghy, NBA referee, bet on the league's games he ran in the last two years and that Donaghy created calls influencing the point spread during these games. He pleaded guilty on August 15, 2007, for 2 federal charges connected to the interrogation and the FBI legal action. Tim Donaghy said in 2008 that some of his colleagues from the league were favorable to various NBA players and "company men" for the league and he claimed that those referees affected the final outcome of particular playoff and final NBA games in 2002 and 2005. The league's commissioner David Stern refused the accusation and explained that Donaghy was a convinced criminal and a cooperating witness. Tim Donaghy was released from the prison in November 2009 after 15 months. The referees improved the Los Angeles Lakers chances of winning with foul calls several times during the game, there still was not their intention to change the game against the rules and regulations according to an official report by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals when the Sacramento Kings competed against the Lakers. Beech said, "it does not appear to be a problem with multiple allowances and standards for various NBA players."
The league's Board of Governors signed the decision on the Seattle SuperSoncis moving to Oklahoma City in April 2008. But the club could not relocate because the city of Seattle filed a charge against the team with the intention to keep them at KeyArena for the next two seasons. In July 2008, the city, however, allowed the transfer with the ownership group to the new location following a court decision. The new deal terminated the last two seasons of the club's lease at KeyArena. The Oklahoma City Thunder started with competing at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season.
The initial modern outdoor NBA game took a place between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns at the Indian Wells Tenis garden in October 2008.
In September 2009, a referee lockout started after the contract between them and the league expired. The initial preseason games began in October 2009 while transfer referees from the NBA Development League and the WNBA were utilized. The first time change was introduced at the start of the 1995-1996 season, while the standard referees and the NBA league made an agreement in October 2009.
The initial NBA league games started in 2011 in the European continent. The Toronto Raptors competed against the New Jersey Nets in 2 games at the O2 Arena in London while over 20,000 fans watched the events.
The first NBA game of the 2011-2012 seasons was scheduled on November 1, 2011, between the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks. But it was later postponed because of a labor dispute. The lockout publicly finished on December 8, 2011, after the owners and players signed a collective agreement. The season started on Christmas Day at the end of the deal.
The New Orleans Hornets changed the name to the Pelicans at the close of the 2012-2013 season. The NBA commissioner Stern retired in the next seasons after thirty years of work, while the deputy commissioner Adam Silver took his office and position. The Bobcats, however, regained the name of the Hornets after the agreement with the NBA and the Pelicans. It also got the right to claim the club's history, statistics and records together with the old name. The Hornets are now regarded as the NBA club that has been found in 1988, stopped working in 2002, and returned as the Bobcats in 2004, which is the result of the agreement. On the other hand, the Pelicans are publicly considered a 2002 expansion NBA club. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns from the NFL, for example, share similar relationships.
A former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers got a lifetime ban from the league in April 2014 when the racist comments he created became publicly available. He was fined $2.5 million as well, which was the maximal financial penalty under the NBA Constitution.
The San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon in August 2014 at the position of an assistant team's couch, and she became the 1st full-time female coach in the NBA and the 2nd female coach in the entire league's history. Also, she was the first full-time female trainer in any of the 4 main professional sports in the United States and Canada.
In April 2016, the NBA released that it would permit all the league's member clubs to sell sponsor ad patches on official dresses starting at the 2017-2018 championship. They would be placed on the jersey's left front which was an opposite position of the standard Nike's logo position and would measure roughly 2.5 by 2.5 inches. It would be the first time that a producer's logo showed up on an NBA jersey. The league would become the initial main professional sports league in the United States that permit sponsorship logos on official club dresses. The Philadelphia 76ers was the first club that announced a jersey sponsorship.
We know how much the athletes make. But now, people want to know how much money do NBA referees make?
Referees are an important part of every professional sports event. It would be impossible to perform the game in regular circumstances without them. Referees monitor professional sports events in order to ensure the rules are followed. Obviously, they perform serious tasks and all have to be in perfect order especially when it comes to top-level games such as NBA. So, they have to be paid well because only satisfied workers are ready to give the maximum efforts despite the type of the profession. Read below to see NBA referee salaries and income:
NBA Ref Income and Salaries
NBA games are broadcasted worldwide and millions or even billions of people watch them. The worth of an average NBA team is estimated at $1.25 billion, so the big money is in the game and each professional sports event generates a lot of cash through ads and commercials, sponsorships, tickets, and many other ways. Except for the clubs and their owners, NBA players take the biggest part of the profit.
Head couches take the second place and their salaries are the closest to the salaries of the NBA players. But referees also work full time on the position, and their average salaries move from $25,000 to $75,000. In comparison with the salaries of the players and head couches, this is not big at all. Also, referees of some other sports have higher wages than this one, and they sometimes perform less demanding work the lower amount of time involved in training, preparation, and on the field itself.
NBA Referees Average Salary
League and experience
Per game earnings
Yearly earnings
Professional-level referee
$3,500
$300,000
Entry-level referee
$600
$90,000
WNBA referee
$425
$80,000
NBA Referee Job Requirements
For instance, an NBA referee has to work full-time for eight months during a season. The NBA team performs 82 games for the same period. All NBA referees have to be fully prepared for this demanding work that requires a total commitment. They have to be in a good fit and ready to perform all of the necessary tasks. It requires an excellent physical condition because observing the games at this level is a challenging and difficult job.
The referees have to know all of the rules and to implement them when the situation requires. The decisions must be accurate and precise. No one loves bad referees and such kind of the judge would not last long in the league. The NBA games are always played fast and the referee must keep the attention at the highest possible level. Fouls are often difficult to notice, so they have to follow the happenings on the field all the time.
NBA Referees Average Salary
The average annual salary of a referee goes form $150,000 to $550,000 depending on their working experience. The starting figure is an entry level while seniors reach much higher numbers. NBA referees usually begin a career with high school or college games and later advance to NBA. However, the starting salary might be even lower, according to the reports of The Sports Economist. It claims the lowest base salary was $91,000 in 2009. Also, Officiating.com announced the referee's salary was estimated at $95,000 to $300,000 per season in 2008. In comparison with an average national salary of $45,000, those figures are not bad at all.
Even a beginner referee has a much higher salary than an average worker from another profession. But this job position offers some other benefits too. The referees are constantly on TV, meet NBA players regularly, and have three or four months pause. However, their average salary was not even close to this figure sometime in the past. The NBA referees earned yearly from $18,000 to $78,300 a thirty years ago, but the currency was stronger then, and the equivalency will be a higher figure than the base amount.
NBA Referee Senior Salary
Furthermore, when you divide the annual salaries of the NBA referees per week, you will get an exact amount of money. The highest annual salary stands at $550,000. It is a quite significant income that exceeds the national average salary for more than ten times. But when you divide it 82 times, you get $6,707.32 as a per game salary of the senior referees. It means they receive almost seven thousand dollars on a weekly basis. That is definitely more than enough even for a luxury lifestyle.
NBA Beginner Ref Salary
The beginner referees earn significantly lower amounts. Their per game salary stands at 1,829.27. The seniors earn much more, but the beginners also make nice amounts in comparison with beginner salaries of other professions. So the payout for the regular NBA season ranges between those two figures, however, the referees can make even more if they are assigned to the playoffs.
Playoffs Earnings
Per-game salary stands at $9,000 in the first rounds and at $29,000 in the finals 2008, according to the reports from the Officiating forum. Brett Poirier of Sheridan Hoops reported quite different figures several years ago. The referees made $4,500 for the first round, $10,540 for the second round, $24,790 for the semi-finals, and $24,790 for the finals, according to that statistic. Tim Donaghy, a former NBA official, said the referees can earn additionally $75,000 to $100,000 in the playoffs if they listen to the NBA's recommendations. But they most likely get bonuses for the efficient and good work which increase their salaries further.
College Basketball Ref Salaries
College Basketball Referees, for example, earn more than $2,000 per game, and their season has more than 70 games. It means the annual salary stands at $150,000 approximately.
WNBA Ref Salaries
WNBA referees are paid significantly lower than those two categories above. The women's league is not profitable and popular as the men's NBA league, and that fact affects the earings. The WNBA referees make roughly $16,000 on yearly basis. It means they earn approximately $425 per game.
Conclusion
All in all, this is a profitable job that keeps its employees good physical condition. Of course, each NBA referee must keep a watchful, careful eye on the game at all times, as it can be a stressful job having to call plays and fouls on national television with 20,000 fans screaming at you. And of course, who can forget the Tim Donaghy scandal, which exposed the potential temptation that referees are vulnerable to. Though it seems highly unlikely that any NBA referee will want to supplement their salary with fixing bets, since the NBA has a strong anti-corruption unit.
The National Basketball Association is really one of the hottest sporting leagues in the entire world. There is a pretty good chance that you’ve seen the logo numerous times. However, you might not be completely familiar with the logo or the player behind the silhouette. So, which player was used for the silhouette? Do they receive royalties? These questions will be answered below.
Who Is The NBA Player Behind The Logo? What Is The Story Behind It?
Many people do not know about the history behind the NBA logo or the player. The logo was actually created in 1969. Around this time, the NBA was battling it out against the American Basketball Association. The stakes were very high.
The NBA decided to hire Alan Siegel. Siegel set out to create an amazing logo that will endure throughout the years. He went through photographs in the archives of the Sport magazine. Ultimately, he came across a picture of All-Star Jerry West and it captured his attention. Siegel thought that the picture captured the very essence of basketball.
The image was altered a bit, but it was the inspiration for the NBA’s present logo. As mentioned above, Jerry West is the player in the logo. At one time, West played for the Lakers. He was also an All-Star.
When Was The NBA Logo Created?
As mentioned above, the NBA logo was created by Alan Siegel in 1969. The logo was well-thought out and it managed to withstand the test of time. It has been around for many years and there is a good chance that the iconic logo will remain for many years to come.
Does Jerry West Get Royalties For NBA Logo?
The sad truth of the matter is that Jerry West does not get royalties for the NBA logo. Unfortunately, the NBA does not want to admit that Jerry West was the inspiration for the logo. Therefore, he doesn’t have any legal ground to stand on. Despite Alan Siegel admitting that he used Jerry West for the logo, the NBA denies it and this is the reason that Jerry West is unable to get royalties. West once said that it would be pretty cool to get a royalty from the logo.
Is The NBA Getting A New Logo?
There are rumors flying that the NBA could be getting a new logo in the near future. There is some speculation to the matter and it is unknown who is going to be the face of the franchise. Jerry West could soon be replaced. Who will take over the role?
Which Player In 2019 Will Be The Logo?
Not much has been set in stone about the NBA logo. Nevertheless, it is believed that a new player will be featured in 2019. Players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracey McGrady have been mentioned as possibilities. There is also talk that Lebron James could potentially become the face of the logo. It really a matter of wait and see. Fans won’t know for certain until the NBA releases the logo.
If we had to speculate, it would probably be LeBron James, who is now in the discussion as one of the all time greats.
Kobe Bryant is a name that appears in all the headlines. Most of the time it is for his outstanding performance on the court, but it seems like this time he is appearing in the headline for something different altogether. Most people don't know that Kobe's father actually named him after the famous and expensive beef of Kobe!
His father came up with the name after he saw it on a menu in a Japanese restaurant. What's even more fascinating is that his middle name Bean is derived from his father's nickname Jellybean. So, why is Kobe appearing in the headlines for the fact that he was named after a famous beef?
Well, that is because the NBA great has filed a lawsuit against the entire Japanese city of Kobe.
This makes for an interesting case from 2010 considering the fact that the city of Kobe has been around much longer than Kobe Bryant himself and this is where his father got the name from. However, Kobe's lawyer's claim is that Mr. Bryant has become more famous and influential than the city. He also claims that Kobe gets paid a lot of money by a lot of major companies just to have his name associated with this product.
The good news is that in recent years Kobe has embraced the 'kobe beef' aspect of his name, as seen in this video below:
The NBA is certainly a unique entertainment league that is drawing a lot of attention as of late. The league has been around for quite some time, but it seems that the sport is growing more attention than ever. In fact, the NBA is the second most watched sport second only to FIFA. Despite this fact, there is still a lot of information about people don't know about the game and its play time. A typical NBA game is supposed to last at least 48 minutes, but there are a lot of factors that can affect the overall length of games.
How Long Is A Televised NBA Basketball Game?
You just learned about that an NBA game was scheduled to last 48 minutes. However, when you watch a game on TV it lasts a little bit longer due to all the ads. In fact, a televised game can last anywhere from two hours to two and a half hours not counting overtimes.
How Long Is An NBA Basketball Game In Person?
Taking in an NBA game in person is a whole different experience and it offers a whole unique time frame as well. Most fans a surprise to realize attending a live game might carve out anywhere from two to three hours out of their schedule
How Long Does An NBA Quarter Last?
An NBA quarter is supposed to last twelve minutes but can go longer depending on timeouts and fouls.
How Long Does An NBA Game Half Last?
An NBA half is supposed to last 24 minutes, but once again, this depends on the fouls, timeouts, and the half time show.
How Long Does NBA Overtime Last?
When an NBA game is tied it will go into overtime. This overtime period lasts five minutes and there will be another five minute overtime after that if the game is still tied. This will continue until the game is over.
Most Overtimes In A Game
The longest game in NBA history finally concluded with six overtimes. It took place on January 6th, 1951 and it was between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals.
We also saw a 6 overtime NCAA game in 2009 in which the UConn Huskies lost to the Syracuse Orange:
The National Basketball Association is a league that has been around for a long time now, but it is starting to see more growth potential than ever. And, this is because MLB is slow paced and the safety issues are plaguing the NFL. And hockey just hasn't been the same since their lockout. As for soccer and golf, well, Americans don't really care as much about them.
However, such cases do like this do not exist in the NBA and that is why more and more investors are taking advantage of its lucrative offerings. On the world stage, basketball is one of the most popular sports. In fact, the only sport that draws more attention is soccer. Basketball related income might be made up of everything from broadcasting rights to concessions and advertising merchandise, but the majority of the revenue in the sport is generated from subsidiaries.
Breakdown Of All NBA Subsidiaries & Properties
When it comes to properties of the NBA, investors need to know that all marketing and licensing of the NBA is done so through a company known as NBA Properties, Inc. It is this company that gives other companies the licenses and rights to sell sneakers, basketballs, warm-up jackets, sweatshirts, and non-sports related items. The company was incorporated in 1967 and it is based in New York. If anyone wants to sell NBA related items they are going to have to acquire a license with this company. That being said subsidiaries are a completely different thing altogether. A subsidiary is a company that owns more than 50% of the stock of a parent company.
Who Owns NBA Teams?
There are 30 different teams that make up the NBA and most teams are owned by one individual. This might seem surprising when you sit down and look at everything that goes into the NBA and its merchandising. However, it should be noted that there are several teams out there with multiple owners like the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks currently have six owners. These individuals that invest in teams are usually billionaires that make their money through successful capital firms or similar careers. Some are even former NBA pros themselves. Take a look at Wycliffe Grousbeck the owner of the Boston Celtics. He bought the company is 2003 for $360 million. The team is estimated at being worth close to $800 million today. Grousbeck was a partner at a hugely successful venture capital firm where he specialized in medical technology and healthcare services.
How Does The NBA Make Money?
When it comes to NBA profits there certainly is no shortage and they come from several different sources. First, you have ticket sales. There are right around 82 games in a season and with 30 teams that would be a total of 2460 games. There is an average of 17,390 tickets sold on an average game. This literally means that there are almost 43,000 tickets sold throughout an entire season. And, this isn't even counting the playoffs where the ticket prices are outrageous.
A ticket these days runs about $125. So, if you multiply that number by the average tickets sold during a season, you roughly come up with almost 5.4 billion. This is just one aspect where the league brings in money. You also have to consider the TV spots, the merchandise it sells, the contracts that it sells to allow other companies to market merchandise, and all the concessions.
How Much Do NBA Owners Make Per Game?
When it comes to considering how much owners make on a single game things can get tricky. This is going to really depend on the draw of the team, the tickets sold, the concessions, and the TV time. The more popular the team, the more money they are going to draw in.
You also have to consider the expenses of the owners. They are responsible for paying the players so teams with more talented players are going to be out more money. It is estimated that the average owner can earn anywhere from $100 to $200 million a season.
Pearl Jam is an extremely popular American rock band that has been around for almost two decades now. And, they are still continuing to crank out their hits. They were originally formed in 1990 in Seattle, Washington. Even back in the early 90s since their formation, they were highly known for selling out many of their contemporary competition. The band might be well known, but there are still a lot of myths and misconceptions that surround their name. First, Eddie Vedder claims that the name Pearl Jam came from his great-grandmother. She supposedly was famous for making jam that contained peyote. However, it later came to light that he did have a great-grandmother named Pearl. If she made jam with peyote or not is another matter altogether.
Most fans don't even know that the band was originally named Mookie Blaylock after the star NBA point guard. They eventually later had to switch from this name when the famous NBA star threatened them with legal action. Interesting enough though, the band got away will naming their debut album Ten, which was in honor of Mookie's jersey number.
The story is a bit more complicated, however, and below is a transcript from Pearl Jam explaining their curious band name decision making:
"When we were recording our first record, we had a per diem of about $10. So when we got lunch at the store across the street, we'd always buy a pack of basketball cards. When we turned in our tape, we didn't have a name for the band yet so we put a Mookie Blaylock card in the case. We were about to go on a tour and still didn't have a name and needed one quickly. We were told it didn't need to be the name that we were going to use forever, just something for the tour. Someone saw the Mookie Blaylock card and said, ‘How about Mookie Blaylock?' We decided to go with it and did a 10-show tour with Alice in Chains as Mookie Blaylock. Mookie was cool about it, too—he didn't sue us. I actually got to meet him later on and shoot around a little bit. We also made a Pearl Jam T-shirt with a picture of him on it. I guess we owe Mookie a lot."
The NBA is unlike any other sport with its own set of rules that are unique. For instance, in football when a player commits a foul the whole team is usually penalized with a loss of yardage. Almost the same thing can happen in the NBA. Sometimes when a player fouls another he will be issued a foul and the team that was fouled will either get the possession of the ball or get two foul shots. So, in NBA the player and the team get punished when they breach the rules that concern illegal personal contact with the opponent.
Unlike football a basketball player only gets a limited amount of fouls before they are thrown out of the game. Football players can commit as many fouls as they want, but still get to continue in the game. NBA players only get six fouls before they are totally penalized to the fullest.
What Happens When You Foul Out In An NBA Game?
When a player commits six fouls it means that he has to leave the game and cannot come back in. He can play the next game, but he will remain on the bench for the remainder of the current game.
When Did the NBA Go To 6 Fouls?
There was a time when players were only allowed five fouls before they got permanently banned from the game. However, it was later changed to six. This took place back in the 1947 to 1948 season. Another interesting change that took place during this season the fact that the roster size increased. At the start of the seasons, the team's rosters went from ten to twelve. Teams could now how a maximum of twelve players on any team.
How Many Fouls Are There Is NBA Overtime?
When it comes to overtime the rules change a little bit. It should be noted that players that fouled out during the regular gameplay are still not allowed back in during overtime. However, over the course of the 5-minute overtime, the teams will now be allowed three fouls before the other team gets to shoot free throws. In regular play, it would be five fouls before the opposing team shoots free throws. Keep in mind that fouls will carry over if there are additional overtimes and the player will still foul out at six fouls. In the last two minutes of overtime, the team that is fouled will get one free throw shot and possession of the ball. This was a rule that was developed and instituted in the 2016-2017 season.
How Many Fouls to Foul Out In NBA Playoffs?
The playoffs certainly change things for the players and the atmosphere, but it doesn't change the foul rules. Players are still only allowed a maximum of six fouls before they foul out.
WNBA Foul Rules
The WNBA and NBA are similar when it comes to rules and regulations. And, the fouls limits are the same as well. WNBA players are allowed six fouls before they are banned from the game. However, only the eight foul per half leads to two free throw shots.
Are there actually vegetarian and vegan NBA players currently in the league? Yes indeed, read below:
Proper food increases abilities of professional sportsmen, and they can perform better if they consume it regularly. In the past, people believed eating meat is necessary for those who want to gain more strength. But the new scientific research discovered that vegan food is in fact much healthier and grows the physical and mental power of the human organism.
That is why vegan sportsmen including those that play in NBA have better form and can perform more than meat eaters. The players use vegan food to support their bodies and overall health condition. They feel better, sleep better have better performances during training and games, according to their words. So the scientific reports are supported with real human experience on positive effects of eating such food.
1. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is one of those vegan NBA players that supports personal efficiency on the basketball field with vegan food. He was born in Melbourne, Australia on 23 March 1992 and currently plays for Boston Celtics. With his new basketball team, Kyrie Irving decided to change the food regiment as well. He excluded meat for all of his meals in an attempt to perform better on the NBA field. It was not hard for him to discover all the benefits of such a healthy lifestyle, and he did not hide it. Irving explained that vegan food is really supportive for his entire organism and that it was the right decision to start excluding meal. The body of this NBA player is now in much better shape, according to his own words. He feels awesome, has more strength and his energy is up. All that thanks to vegan food.
2. Garrett Temple
Garrett Temple is also a vegan NBA player born on May 8, 1986, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He had difficulties in 2012 when he played for Miami Heat. He wanted to achieve progress, but it was impossible during that period. However, Ray Allen, his team colleague and senior player at the time had much better results and performances. Garrett Temple was strongly impressed by physical abilities, so he asked Ray Allen for advice. Then, he heard that Ray did not eat meat and other animal products such as beef and bacon. He claimed it was a recipe for his professional success. So Garrett Temple started to implementing that strategy after the talk with his team members, and the results began to show up. He quickly discovered the benefits of this food regiment and his body started to advance. He got more power and strength. His body feels well, and the professional results were better.
3. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is the third vegan NBA player on this list. He was born on July 15, 1990, in Oakland, California. Damian currently plays for Portland Trail Blazers and has increased efficiency due to the food regiment. He was an exceptional talent even from the beginning of its professional career. However, he had a problem with really unpleasant pain in his joints, so he decided to change something in order to avoid such issues in the future. The vegan diet was one of the steps he implemented into his life on a daily basis. This type of food led him to the path of healing. He felt a significant improvement almost instantly after implementing the vegan diet. His joints reacted in a positive way, and the pain became more tolerable. However, Damian Lillard is also applying other techniques to support the vegan diet in his health endeavors. He is trying to play easier avoiding strong pressure on his joints.
4. Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol is the last NBA vegan player on this list. He was born on January 29, 1985, in Barcelona, Spain. He plays for Memphis Grizzlies and has lost roughly 40 pounds considering his weight in the high school. due to the vegan diet. That increased his efficiency on the basketball field. His body started becoming more flexible and movable. But he also felt better and his overall health is much better condition that in the past. In fact, Marc Gasol was underrated when he came to the NBA, so he searched for the solution to increase the abilities and performance.
Before we break down an NBA waterboys salary, lets get some perspective here. NBA salaries might range greatly. Some top players make $35,000,000 and sometimes even more on a yearly basis. However, mascot NBA beginners earn only $25,000 for the same time period. Clearly, this difference is serious, but NBA league contains many professions and their salaries might be lower or higher. Head coaches have the highest salaries after NBA players, while others make less than those two types of employees.
NBA Towel & Water Boys Salary
For example, the average salary of a waterboy in NBA stands at $58,000, according to the Boston Celtics statistics. However, there are always differences between beginner employees and those who are well-versed with an advanced set of skills. Experienced employees definitely have a higher authority in the NBA community, while novice workers have yet to prove themselves in front of the superiors.
That way, their salaries will progressively grow over time. It will take a while though, but it will worth at the end. The job itself requires good condition and physical strength. It is not overly demanding, but the worker has to be in good shape.
The highest salaries in this profession move up to $100,000 or sometimes even more. The employee will not become rich overnight, but he will reach a steady income with a possibility to grow further.
How to Become an NBA Waterboy
Those who are interested in this job position and want to start a career as towel boys should follow some steps to successfully finish the application. The first thing you should to contact your local NBA club and ask them on the matter.
Some of them are constantly looking for new recruits, and you might be a good fit for their teams. They usually have quite different procedures but there are still many similarities as well. For example, you have to fill out all the paper forms writing your personal details and other information they ask you.
If anyone of your relatives and family members has connections with NBA clubs, you would have to explain that question deeper. You will also have to provide your school and college degrees and diplomas if any. The higher education is a good path to success even when it comes to this job. The beginners with potential have higher chances to advance faster gaining better salaries in a shorter period of time. You can become a master of the skills if you practice them on a daily basis.
Professional sports competitions generate large sums of money, and it is not a secret at all. NBA is one of those leagues where players and head couches have exceptionally high salaries. But there are also other professions and employees that work in the same league and their earnings might vary.
NBA mascots, for example, are one of those workers permanently employed there. Their salaries might vary too. Those new and inexperienced individuals earn $22,000 or slightly above that amount, while the experienced mascots make $100,000 or sometimes even more. For instance, the NBA Denver Nuggets mascot is known to make the highest amounts and his salaries go up to $625,000. Clearly, those amounts are not overly big, but they are quite better than some salaries of other professions.
An average US salary stands at $45,000. The amount is almost double than the lowest mascot salary in NBA. However, the highest earning are significantly higher, so an experienced mascot in NBA takes more benefits than a majority of workers from other professions in the United States. Those mascots with such high salaries are usually working more than 10 years on the same job position and are very skillful.
The strong experience obviously stimulates their salaries, and they get 5 times higher wage than beginners. It means working in NBA definitely pays off even for a mascot. The beginners have to invest time and build up their skills and knowledge. Their wage will progressively grow until they reach the maximum.
NBA Mascot Courses and Training
The National Basketball Association even held different courses and studies to support the skills of the league's mascots. Also, the best mascots have an opportunity to get an award at the end of the year, thanks to their dedicated work. The most awarded mascots have the highest ratings, and it significantly affects their salaries. Each team is looking for awesome members because skillful individuals make an impact on all other aspects.
Conclusion
The best mascots have high salaries, and those awards can generate money too. Sometimes, they are supported with a sum of cash, which is really an encouraging thing for all mascots. If they want more, they have to advance and make progress in career. The effort is necessary just like with any other working activities. A great mascot can make game pauses more interesting and the public often pays attention when they come up to the field. That is why they are an important part of every game.
NBA athletic trainers have a good gig – they spend time with the most famous and successful athletes in the world. How much money do they make? Salaries? Read below:
NBA players typically make huge amounts of money unthinkable for an ordinary man. Their daily salaries are much higher than a monthly national average salary. NBA players are highly skilled professionals that invest a lot of time in physical preparation and training. Often, they spend hours in a gym and basketball fields preparing for the regular game on a daily basis.
But they do not work alone and have big teams that work together with them and support their activities. NBA trainers are the most important factor when it comes to preparation. They can teach the players how to perform various exercises and acquire new skills. Salaries of the main trainers usually follow those of NBA players because they are together all the time, and it is important to belong to the same social category.
NBA Head Athletic Trainer Salary
But other NBA trainers are not so important to clubs as head coaches, and their salaries are much lower. For example, NBA head athletic trainer yearly makes $55,767 on average. Their wage is similar to wages of regular professions outside of NBA.
It starts at the lowest amount of $55,310 per year that receive 25% of all athletic head trainers and moves up to $56,200 per year. 75% of professional head athletic trainers make that amount on a yearly basis. However, top-earners make even more and their salaries go over $56,635 per year. All in all, it is a beneficial thing to work in NBA. Some job positions do not offer excessive profit, but the earnings are still good and acceptable to satisfy many needs.
Head Coach Salary
But there are different trainers in NBA, and some are less or more important. For instance, head coaches make the most. They create the strategy of NBA teams and are the most important members within clubs. Gregg Popovich is one of the highest paid NBA couches out there. He has earned $55 million for 5 years, which is a really serious amount of money, near one million US dollars per month.
Still, salaries of head couches significantly vary, and the differences are sometimes enormous. For example, David Fizdale, the head coach of Memphis, has made only $10.2 million for four years. It is still a huge amount of money, but it is much lower than Gregg's salary. A Detroit head coach, Stan Van Gundy, has earned $35 million in the five years. His salary is somewhere in between those two above.
Professional basketball leagues, such as NBA, need an organization plan and procedure at the highest level. All have to be perfect, and many people are involved in the preparation and implementation of such sports events, namely NBA cameramen. This is partly due to the emergence of online video platforms like YouTube, which means video is more important and effective than ever, and NBA movies are crucial for NBA marketing.
There are players, their trainers, security staff, medical professionals, mascots, camera operators, police, cleaners, and others. All those workers are paid for their effort, but you can find many differences among their salaries. Of course, the players and their trainers earn the most.
The salaries of their team members are typically in the second position and others from the list come later. However, this article is focused on NBA cameraman salary. That job position falls under the category of sports reporters, and NBA camera operators might also be NFL cameramen at the same time.
Those NBA cameraman professionals have the task to make video records of the entire game with particular attention to the most exciting moments. The job seems easy and simple for someone who does not know a lot about it, but it requires many skills and serious experience.
NBA Cameramen Salary
The professional operators are paid well, and they typically make $66,192 on average. Their salaries range from $62,782 to $69,402.
25% of all professional camera operators have the lowest amount, while 75% receive the highest salary. However, there are a few professionals who even earn the more than this. Their prices go up to $72,605 and sometimes even more. But it is a small number of workers, maybe ten or fifteen of them maximally. Those figures cover the entire payments including base salaries, bonuses, and equities.
NBA Cameramen Salary by Cities
San Francisco takes the first like the best-paying city when it comes to NBA camera operators salaries. Seattle and Los Angeles are on the second and third place, respectively. New York takes the fourth position and Washington stands fifth.
Comparison Between Regular and NBA Cameraman Salary
When considering that average salary for men stands at $49,192, it is easy to notice a difference. The average salary for women is even lower, and it stands at $39,988 in the United States. It means that NBA TV camera operators earn significantly more comparing the national average level, which makes this work position more desirable.
Conclusion
Every individual loves to earn more than others improving life standard. More money means more opportunities and better possibilities, which is an obvious thing. As mentioned already, NBA camera operators are well educated, and half of them have a bachelor degree or even higher qualification. They are almost all over 30 years old, which means they are all mature individuals.
Anyone has played basketball has likely played with different sized basketballs. But there is indeed an official NBA regulation sized basketball. Additionally, there are women basketballs and international basketballs as well. In this article we will discuss the official size of an NBA basketball as well as other basketball sizes and types that are most popular.
The first you notice as you take the first glance at the basketball choices out there is that there are rubber basketballs, leather basketballs, and composite basketballs. Most of them are very noticeable with monochrome or two-toned colors to choose from. All of them are branded in ways that make them instantly recognizable.
The Technical Aspects of Basketballs
Now here come the questions. You are probably wondering what ball do NBA players use?
For professional players, a basketball size is assigned based on their age, gender, and their level of experience. The standard basketball used on most NBA games measures 29.5 inches in circumference, also known as a size #7. This is also the same size that is used by NCAA College and HS basketball leagues for male players. The WNBA uses a slightly smaller ball, measuring 28.5 inches in circumference, also known as #6.
International leagues such as FIBA, use a Molten GL7 basketball for men and the Molten GL6 for women. These two basketballs feature different colors schemes and are bigger than the NBA standard by measuring 30.7-inch of a circumference. They are also regarded as a standard issue in many countries outside the USA.
Kids in middle school aged as old as 14 are recommended use a size #6, as do women and girls aged 12 and up. For kids whose age goes below that, either male or female, the recommended size is a #5 measuring 27.5 inches in circumference, since this one is of pretty common use in all young basketball leagues.
Smaller kids age 4 to 8 really need to take a few sizes down to make the most out their limited strength. The best recommendation for them is a size #4 with measuring 25.5 inches in circumference. The growth factor also plays a substantial role here since the kids in question need to hold the ball on their hands and their hand size can be a determining factor.
It's important to know about other factors that play some incidence in your gameplay as professionals do. Wondering what the official weight of an NBA basketball is is the right way to begin. So far the official information available places a Size 7 weight at 20 or 22 ounces. Size 6 weighs 18 to 20 ounces. Size 5 should not go over 17 ounces. Size four is set at 14 ounces, and the mini Size 3 should never weight more than 10 ounces
Additional Tidbits to Pick the Right Basketball
The pressure of inflation of the ball also plays a big role in your performance. Is good to ask how many PSI is a NBA basketball?
So far the official information states that a NBA basketball should always be inflated to a maximum pressure of 7.5 to 8.5 PSI. The WNBA follows the same rules. The NCAA inflation requirements are handled differently since they are by given weight. Their current parameters place a men's ball at 22 ounces, while the women's ball should weight no more than 20 ounces.
FIBA play rules state the ball should be inflated to a minimum air pressure that allows the ball to be bounced to the playing floor from a height of 180 cm from the bottom of the ball, with a rebound height that should go well over 120 cm and 140 cm, measured from the top of the ball.
The Sizes of Basketballs
All basketballs, regardless of size and materials are available in at least five different sizes: from #3 to #7, so you can choose the right one to build your game. The first thing you notice is that differences between all these balls are a couple of centimeters at best. It really shouldn’t matter at all which one you pick, but it certainly does. That’s why every league of basketball in the USA uses one differently on the playground.
Let's take a moment to put things in perspective. If you are playing for the sake of enjoying the game, there's nothing wrong with using any size of a ball with your pals. If you plan to play basketball more seriously, you will want the ball that is best suited to you. It might not look like it but basketball is a sport that requires precision, and even the smallest margin can make a difference in your game.
As you practice with a ball that is not fitted to you, you start to notice your own maneuverability to handle basketballs as you do more dribbles and passes. Even a free throw or a dunk can be quite tricky to handle if you are playing something that weights more than you can control. It also works the other way: a small ball won’t allow you to use your own strength appropriately and you will miss one too many shots as a result.
The Best Material to Choose From
It all depends on the conditions of your game. If you are playing indoor basketballs, you need full-grain leather basketballs. If you are playing outside, you need a rubber. The leather feels soft to the touch, and continuous use breaks them and makes it easy to grip. They are the choice for indoor please mainly because they can get easily damaged by outdoor conditions such as heat and contact with concrete. Rubber basketballs can absorb the punishment of rough surfaces such as asphalt without losing their grip. Rubber balls are also the best choice for beginners because they can be controlled easily.
Play the Game the Right Way
You may think this is some sort of ill advice, but don’t let the flashiness get you. While a basketball can make instantly recognizable in the court just based on the design, it won’t do anything useful if you can’t handle it properly. You are probably wondering “what’s the big deal” if we are just discussing basketballs here. The truth is that not every ball out there works for everyone.
Modern basketballs are very diverse, some of them are a re-imagination of past basketball designs. There are genuinely daring options out there that stand out, but the best you can do to handle a basketball good from the moment you start to bounce is to realize what’s the best size that fits you. Oh! Didn't you know that? That's a right friend: basketballs can be found in various size, and all of them can take your game to the next level if you pick the right one.
Getting into the NBA is the ultimate goal to thousands of young basketball players. They all work tirelessly to make the cut and get into the best basketball league in the world. However, only a fraction of them gets to feel the thrill of playing in the NBA and making a living as a professional basketball player. Here is some useful information that should give you a clue or two on what it takes to be an NBA player.
What are the odds of making it to the NBA?
Taking account of everything that one needs to get into the NBA requires a ton of variables and data. To put it simply, that’s pretty much impossible. However, here is a bit simplistic approach that should give you an idea or two of your odds.
First of all, let’s assume that you are a high school student. The average American high school has around 752 students. Typically, high school basketball teams have a squad of ten to twelve players. Ten out of 752 is 1.3%. That’s the odds for getting into your high school basketball team.
Next comes the NCAA. Only one out of 35 high school players get to pay in the college basketball. And from there only 50 NCAA players get to play in the NBA. That’s 50 out of 4200 college players eligible for the draft. That comes to 1.2% chance of being drafted by an NBA team.
What NBA scouts look for in basketball players 20 and younger?
NBA scouts make in-depth analyzes for every basketball player that they think has potential to play in the NBA. Here are the top key 5 features they find essential to any players that want to be part of the NBA:
Athleticism (explosiveness)
Above average athleticism is something that is much appreciated by basketball scouts. For example, a player that can bounce with ease can also release jump shots faster and can easily block their opponents. Also, they keep a close eye to the player's lateral quicknesses and its drilling speed.
Character
Scouts will closely watch their prospect how they behave on practice, in the gym, how they work with the coaching staff, their attitude toward their teammates, and sometimes their leadership skills.
Ambidexterity
This is about player’s ability to use both the left and the right hand equally. Players with this attribute have a much higher value in the eyes of basketball scouts.
Versatility
Not everyone can be versatile as Lebron James, but with enough work, anyone can cover more than one position in the team and go a bit beyond the scope of his original role. Scouts love to see that with college players and how they behave when they are asked to play something different than usual.
Body Frame
Even though there are college basketball players in all shapes and sizes, scouts prefer players with particular features. They need to be sure that the prospect can endure the rigors of the league. They greatly care about their wingspan, their muscle structure, stamina and so on.
Do you need to go to college to play in the NBA?
The NBA rules say that all players need to be at least 19 years old to have finished one year of college education to be eligible for an NBA Draft. This rule was introduced in 2007 as a reaction of Lebron James skipping college and going straight in pros. Then there are plenty of American players that went to play in Europe and returned to the NBA without going to college altogether. Currently, there are around fifty NBA players that never went to a college. For example, Daniel Theis came to play for the Celtics from the German league.
Most European NBA players never went to an American college, or any other college so ever. Luka Doncic, the Slovenian wonder boy that is making a name for himself in his rookie season, came from the Spanish league where he played for Real Madrid. By the age of 19, he won loads of trophies. He was part of the 2018 draft where he was picked third by the Atlanta Hawks and later traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Then there is Kevin Durant himself. He spent a year playing in US NCAA so he could become eligible for the NBA Draft. In 2007 he was drafted as the second overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics.
How long do you have to go to school to be a basketball player?
One year of college is the bare minimum for a player to be eligible for the NBA draft. The one-and-done rule that was introduced in 2007 is there to make sure players don’t skip college and go directly in the NBA. If a player with an ambition to play in the NBA decides or cannot attend college for any reason, he can play one year in one of the minor leagues or elsewhere in the world. He can even take a break from basketball and wait to turn 19. But, one year sabbatical from basketball is something that no one wants or does.
Play in overseas basketball leagues
There are plenty of American born NBA players that had their first break in Europe and later returned in the NBA. Here are two examples of US-born basketball players that played professional basketball first in Europe and then in the NBA.
Brandon Jennings
Brandon finished his education with Oak Hill Academy and decided that he should play in Europe first, rather than going in college and waiting for one year to become eligible for the draft. After one year with the Italian team Lottomatica Roma he went on the 2009 NBA draft. There he was drafted tenth by the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent nine seasons in NBA before returning to Europe in 2018 to play for Zenit Saint Peterburg in the Russian national league.
Lester "Bo" McCalebb
After attending the University of New Orleans, Lester signed up for the 2008 draft. However, he wasn't picked up by any of the NBA teams, so he went to Europe. He played for clubs all over Europe; Serbia, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Turkey. There he won plenty of trophies and a lot of personal awards. In 2015 he accepted an offer from NBA's New Orlean Pelicans. However, he didn’t stay much in the NBA. The following year he returned in Europe, in the French team of Limoges.
Basketball drills for you to practice
Basketball is a type of game that requires a combination of technical skills, speed, agility, and strength. Yet, NBA players make it look so easy. Here are some of the best drills to prepare you for the challenges of professional basketball.
3, 2, 1, Perfect
This is a well-known exercise and a very effective one used both by amateurs and professionals. You need to shoot from five spots: corner, wing, top of the key, the next wing, and the following corner. First, you need to hit three in a row, before running to the next spot. After you accomplish that, you need to hit two in a row from each of the given spots. And for the last round, you need to hit one shot from each spot in a row. That’s five consecutive hits.
Ball Handling With Tennis Ball
The focus of this drill is ball handling. For this exercise, you will need a tennis ball and a basketball. You start by pounding the basketball as strong as possible (but no higher than the waist). Next, grab the tennis ball and toss it upwards the nose, but not above the head. Grab the basketball with the hand on the top of the tennis ball. (overhand catch, underhand toss). Repeat this exercise fifteen times before switching hands.
Wall Passes
Delivering the ball to your teammates in the best possible way is of importance for players in all positions. The drill is really simple. All you need to do is to find a tape and place a small X on the wall. Set it at mid-chest height. Stand around ten feet from the wall. Next, try to hit the X with the ball so strong that it comes back to you, but not too strong so you won't be able to grab it. After you hit the first X and the ball comes back to you, walk a step backward. Then hit the X again, grab the ball and another step back. Repeat the drill until you are too far from the wall and you can't hit it so strong that it doesn't bounce back to you.
Record video of yourself playing basketball against the competition
Sometimes being a talented basketball player is not enough to get noticed by scouts. Aside, great statistics and undeniable talent, you can upload online some of your best games. Just make sure that all the videos are in HD and you are in the center of the action.
You can either hire someone to record you playing or ask a friend or a family member to help you with that. That way he can focus on your action and promote you. Alternatively, you can grab your team's videos and make a supercut from the parts where you are in the main role.
Hire a basketball agent
Finding and hiring an agent is no brainer. However, finding a good agent, one that will dedicate a lot of time and effort to your career is a bit trickier. Almost all agents can be reached online via their own websites, agency’s website, or an online directory. But before you hire anyone you need to make sure that he has worked with players of your age and status, and that he has done well by them. They are the ones with the top experience and the only ones that can lead you to the promise land – the NBA.
With the 2019 portion of the 2018-19 NBA season upon us, it finally feels like we have enough of a sample size to begin the discussion of who currently belongs in the NBA MVP conversation for this season.
CURRENT NBA 2019 MVP CONTENDERS:
Giannis Antentokounmpo, MIL – After finishing last season with a 44-38 record, 7th seed in the East, and a first round exit at the hands of Boston, Milwaukee is well on its way to a 50+ win campaign. At the moment they are 26-10 and only a ½ game behind Toronto for first in the East in large part due to “The Greek Freak.” Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks in PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, and FG%. At 24, he will have many opportunities to win the award in the future and this season appears to be the first of a long run of MVP contention. If he keeps up this production for the rest of the season, it will be difficult to deny him #1 of his young career.
James Harden, HOU – The defending MVP is currently playing the best basketball of his career and has forced himself back among the top names in any MVP discussion. Let’s recap his December: 36.4 PPG, most in December by anyone since Jordan in 1986, 2nd most points by a Rocket in a calendar month only trailing Moses Malone in 1982 (he won MVP), joined Kobe and MJ as the only players to score 400 points in a 10-game stretch in the last 30 years, current 8 game streak of 35+ points and 5+ assists passed Oscar Robertson for most all-time, going for his 5th straight 40 point game tonight in Oakland against the Warriors, and most importantly, has brought Houston from 14th in the packed West to 4th and all while Chris Paul has been out.
Kawhi Leonard, TOR – The clear best player on the league’s best team. Arguably the league’s best two-way (perimeter) player. Leonard is not new to the MVP field and a 60+ win season by the Raptors along with a #1 seed in the conference could be the classic MVP formula for him to take home his first if no one else steps up and distinguishes himself from the pack in the second half of the season. Leads the team in points, rebounds, and steals as he heads back to San Antonio tonight for the first time, fresh off a 45 point output on NYE.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR:
LeBron James, LAL – Leads the Lakers in PPG, APG, and RPG as they currently stand in the playoff standings and 4 games out of 1st. Los Angeles has not appeared in the playoffs since 2013, but look to return this season with “King James” leading the way for this young team.
Anthony Davis, NOP – The Pelicans would need to make a similar 2nd half playoff push led by AD if he has any shot at the MVP, but even doing so would likely not be enough in this competitive crowd.
Kevin Durant / Stephen Curry, GSW – Both are playing at their usual MVP level. However, they likely cancel eachother out on the league’s best team, similar to Kobe and Shaq in the early 2000’s. One would likely need the other to be out extensively to even have a legitimate chance to end the season with another MVP trophy.
Russell Westbrook / Paul George, OKC – Westbrook is probably the only one of the two with a real chance although George has been great thus far. Russ is currently on pace to average a triple-double for the 3rd straight season!!!
HONORABLE MENTIONS THAT NEED HISTORIC RUNS TO HAVE A SHOT
among the top names in any MVP discussion. Let’s recap his December: 36.4 PPG, most in December by anyone since Jordan in 1986, 2nd most points by a Rocket in a calendar month only trailing Moses Malone in 1982 (he won MVP), joined Kobe and MJ as the only players to score 400 points in a 10-game stretch in the last 30 years, current 8 game streak of 35+ points and 5+ assists passed Oscar Robertson for most all-time, going for his 5th straight 40 point game tonight in Oakland against the Warriors, and most importantly, has brought Houston from 14th in the packed West to 4th and all while Chris Paul has been out.