Most Valuable Basketball Cards

Most Valuable Basketball Cards

Basket ball is one such game which has risen to become of the most loved sports of all times. There is a huge craze and fan following for this dynamic game. In the US, people follow this game like a culture and some of the sports memorabilia of this sport is worth a whole lot of money these days. One such very attractive sports memorabilia are the hot basketball cards which have become very famous.

These hot collectibles are very much like other kinds of memorabilia but the real value of these hot basketball cards lies in its uniqueness. People have started collecting these cards and have kept them as their prized possessions. Only a of these cards make it to the top of the list of the most valuable basketball collectibles. The top basketball cards are things which each and every basketball fan would love to have.

Most Valuable Basketball Cards

Most Valuable Basketball Cards

The first in the list of top basketball cards has to be the 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan basketball rookie card. All of the cards of Jordan are collector items but this one in particular is the most popular. The value of this card has increased a lot and is presently hovering around $6,500. The basketball rookie cards of this great athlete are one thing that all basket ball fans hope to posses. There are numerous companies which made the Jordan basket ball cards but the basketball cards from the companies like Topps and Upper Deck are the most popular. The most popular card of Jordan has to be the one released by Fleer.

The next on the list of the hot basketball cards has to be the 1996-97 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant basket ball card. This is one of the rarest cards as they were printed in limited number by the company. This is Kobe’s most popular card even though there are close to 35 other cards of this player. With the number of achievements this player is bound to achieve in the future, this is one card which will surely be valued for quite some time to come.

By Tom Billmore
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Basketball Party

Basketball Party

It may seem that if you are planning basketball party games, your games need all be outdoors, but as everyone knows, parties must be planned with contingencies for the possibility that the party could be forced indoors. One option, should you wish to plan a basketball party is to arrange to have the party at an outdoor street ball court, or arrange to have the party at a local indoor basketball court. Should you need to move your party indoors, if you have scouted out the area for a public indoor court, you can always move indoors in the case of inclement weather, so have a contingency plan.

Basketball Indoor Party Games

Now, if you plan to have your basketball party at your home, the options in case of unexpected weather problems are more limited, but not insurmountable. Just have an indoor area cleared with an indoor goal and nerf balls, and you should have built in basketball party games. Basketball party games of horse or free throw basketball party game competitions work well for prize opportunities as do games of basketball trivia and other sports related activities.

Basketball Party

Basketball Party

Basketball Party Activities

Be sure to have basketball party games for down time, so the guests will have an opportunity to cool down, and get ready to eat, open presents, or just get out of the sunshine. This is particularly important if the party is outdoors in hot weather. A shaded area or even a man made shade is imperative for really hot weather. Consider having blankets or heavy plastic spread out (stake them down if it is windy) and have coloring books or printed coloring sheets, sports trivia basketball party games handy, and as long as you have plenty of drinks and snacks handy, your basketball party games are sure to be a hit.

By Gail Leino
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Secret #1 Develop Skill Synergy

The fastest way to get better is to learn and practice the fundamental skills. Fundamental skills like passing, catching, shooting, dribbling and basic footwork are as much responsible for basketball success as any cross-over move or behind-the-back dribble.

When you work on and advance your fundamental skill levels, you can develop what I call “Skill Synergy”. Skill Synergy is based on the idea that the better you become at any one particular skill, the better and more developed you will become at each and every other skill. Then with the development of each skill, your entire game becomes almost twice as effective as it was before. Each skill doesn’t just work alone it “stacks” or builds on every other skill. This “synergy” then catapults your game into more advanced levels and makes success in basketball much easier.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

For example, if you become better at dribbling, it will automatically make you a better shooter. The dribbling will help you get a better feel for the ball and make you feel more comfortable with the ball. That will automatically help you become a better shooter. But the “synergy” doesn’t stop there. The result is you don’t just become a better dribbler or a better shooter, instead you become a more effective all-around player. The synergy starts filtering out to all phases of your game.

Your entire game will expand quickly because you can expand on each skill learned. That will flow into other areas of skill development. Soon you will be able to do more moves, make more shoots and play more effectively than ever before.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Take Michael Jordan for example. All of his high-flying acrobatic moves and game winning shots were not practiced or planned. Instead, they just happened “naturally” because he had become a master of the simple fundamental skills and applied Skill Synergy to make all those spectacular shots. Remember, however that most of his 32,292 points were compromised mainly of basic fundamental jump shots and lay-ins. Not the SportsCenter highlights he is remembered for. He mastered the basics first, then all those “fancy” moves developed from there.

If you want to become better, learn the fundamentals and practice them. Every skill you learn and develop will help you expand your game to new levels.

Secret #2 Practice The Right Way
One day I was “practicing” and my coach at the time walked by the gym and asked what I was doing. I said I was “practicing”. Then I added, “you know coach, because practice makes perfect”.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Then he said something very powerful to me. He said “No. Perfect practice, makes perfect.”

Him telling me this gave me tremendous insight into what it takes to become a better player. I quickly learned that how you practice and how you perform are directly linked.

By developing Perfect Practice habits and mentality, you can take your game to new levels at a rapid pace.

The wonderful thing about the Perfect Practice mentality is that you can use it at anytime. It doesn’t matter if you are just shooting around with friends or are doing a grueling individual workout. The principles can and should be applied at all times.

Here are my Perfect Practice Principles:

Use Maximum Effort and Focus On Every Play.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Perfect Repetition, Leads To Perfect Execution.

Repetition Is The Key To Skill Improvement.

Practice Must Simulate Games.

Constantly Analyze Your Results.

Study and use these principles. These principles will save you hours of unnecessary frustration and wasted practice time. Your game will develop at a significantly faster pace and help you reach your maximum potential.

Secret #3 Add Variety
The great thing about basketball is that you can either play on your own or with other people. Basketball can be played in so many ways. Each can help you develop your skills in different ways.

To become the best basketball player you can be, it is important that you practice the game in a variety of ways. Your skills will enhance and you will see faster development.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Here are some ways to add variety to your game:

Practice By Yourself
This is the best way to learn the fundamentals of the game and to develop individual skills. You should spend lots of time by yourself working on different fundamental skills. Get in all the repetitive learning and practice you can with just you and the ball.

1-on-1
Playing 1-on-1 will help you learn how to both score on and defend against a single player. 1-on-1 is a great way to get in lots of repetitions and practice. It is also a great place to use both Skill Synergy and Perfect Practice techniques.

3-on-3
Lots of outdoor or “street” ball tournaments are played using the 3-on-3 format. This provides you with great opportunity to get in even more work on your game. 3-on-3 probably gives you the closet thing to real game simulation without having to run the full length of the floor. You can develop both 1-on-1 moves and learn to play in a team concept while still getting in a good number of personal repetitions.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

5-on-5 Full Court
Obviously this is what most “real” games consist of. I recommend that you play as much 5-on-5 as possible. This is the best way to learn the game and develop your total skill package. It is also the best measure of telling you what you need to work on and what areas you need to improve in. If you don’t feel that you are able to score very often then maybe you should do some more 1-on-1 drills or learn to score off the pass in games of 2-on-2.
Playing 5-on-5 will also help your conditioning. Most 5-on-5 games are played using the full court, the others are usually in a half-court setting. Having to run the full length of the court will challenge your skill development because you add in the element of fatigue. The better conditioned you are and the less fatigue you encounter, the more successful your skills will be. Be sure to learn the skills you need by practicing in half-court games. Remember, that you need to develop your conditioning to achieve maximum results when playing in full-court games.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Secret #4 Seek Out Mentors and Be Coach-able
One of the biggest secrets to becoming more successful is to seek out mentors and be willing to learn from them.

Many times people are reluctant to seek out mentors and coaches, because it opens them up to being criticized. However, you can learn a lot from that criticism if you are willing to accept it. If you want to be more successful at anything, then you must find the right teachers and be willing to learn from them and be coached.

This is especially true in the game of basketball. There are lots of great coaches and players out there that you can learn from.

Another key to success is, don’t wait for theses coaches to find you. Instead, be assertive and go out and find them on your own. No matter what level of play you are at, there are lots of people out there that can make you better. It can be a coach, a personal trainer, even a nutritionist; all of these people have valuable information that can make you a better player and a better athlete.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

To get the maximum results from this instruction, you must be willing to learn and be coached. I can tell you that virtually every big time basketball coach I have ever talked to says that the one trait that all their “star” players possess is their willingness to learn and listen.

The ability of the human mind and body to learn and process new information is remarkable. If you want to develop your skills to maximum level, then you find people to coach you and listen to them!

Secret #5 Watch All The Video You Can
Watching video is one of the best ways that I know of to get better and learn more about the game. With today’s modern technology, video is easy to get and use. I highly recommended that you get your hands on as much video you can and learn from it.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

There are lots of different types of video that you can learn from. First of all, there are all kinds of games broadcast on television. It is easy to tape these games and watch them over and over again. I personally have over 400 games on tape. This has become one of my most valuable resources. I have learned, used, and taught thousands of moves that I have gotten from re-watching games.

Another great resource is instructional videos. There are a lot of different tapes that have been made through the years. Many have much of the same information, but it is important to learn those key fundamentals. Plus, even if you watch 10 videos and only learn one new move, that move could lift you from being an average player to superstar status. (For more information on instructional videos, be sure to check out my personal Dominate The Game instructional DVD video and basketball improvement program at [http://www.basketballpro.com/dominatethegame].)

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

There is one other video secret that I am almost reluctant to reveal. I find this technique so powerful and helpful that it is just too good to keep secret. It is very simple, but rarely used.

It’s called Self Video Analysis. Many times coaches or parents will make tapes of games and watch them to critique the teams performance or to relive a personal sports moment. This is very useful for this purpose, but it isn’t the kind of video analysis that I am talking about. I am talking about taping yourself when you practice by yourself.

When you are alone working on your game by yourself, tape it. Tape it and watch it. It doesn’t take long to see what you need to work on. This also allows you to start seeing little tiny adjustments in your game and start correcting them. Even little errors can lead to bad habits which can negatively effect your performance.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

I especially like to use this technique when working on shooting. Shooting is almost a fine art. Any minor problem can lead to a drop in the amount of shots you make. Tape your shooting practice and then analyzing it. Watch to see if you are using proper form and technique on every shot. Watch and see what is working for you and what isn’t. Watch and you will soon see a dramatic improvement in your shooting performance.

Secret #6 Learn From Different Sources
Basketball is a very popular sport. There are all kinds of books, videos, magazines and newspaper articles out there for you to learn from.

I recommended that you start finding and studying as many as these resources that you can. You will be amazed at all the useful information that you can learn from these sources. I find some “piece” of useful information in almost everything I read, watch, or hear about the game.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

The most successful basketball players and coaches I know are constantly reading books on basketball. They read autobiographies on famous players. They read instructional books. They read books on training, books on motivation, books on other sports to see if they can learn something to apply to basketball and make them more successful. These high level coaches and players know that learning from all these different sources is a key to staying on top.

I also know of players that have made entire scrapbooks from newspaper articles that they collected about other teams and players. Then before they would play against them, they would read to be better prepared and to gain an “edge” against them.

I recommended that you start your own “basketball file” and collect or write down all the things you find useful. You can then look at them over and over again and apply them to your game. (Note: Printing out and saving this newsletter is a good place to start you new “basketball file”.)

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Secret #7 Become A Better Athlete
I am a firm believer that skill development goes hand-in-hand with athletic development. The better trained you are as an athlete the easier it is for you to develop your basketball skills.

Most athletes struggle not because they lack proper skill, but because they lack the strength, conditioning, and speed that it requires to perform those skills at a higher level. Many times pro athletes aren’t any better shooters or players than some junior high players, but their athletic ability separates them from the rest.

One of the great benefits of training to become a better athlete is that you can often make significant jumps in skill development very quickly. The better trained you are, the faster you will be able to learn new skills. When you’re well trained you can perform skill repetition at maximum speed, strength and conditioning. When you do this, it naturally allows you to develop your game quickly, because your body isn’t holding you back with fatigue. In fact, having a well-trained body is helping you succeed because it just makes every thing easier and allows you to learn faster.

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

Let me give you a good example. Say that you were in good enough shape to shoot around for 1 hour. In this time, let’s say you could shoot 200 shots. Now if you were in even better shape you could probably shoot around 300 shots. That’s 100 shots more in the same amount of time. This would undoubtedly make you better! Plus, out of those 300 shots, you will make more of them because you are better trained!

Do you see how your game can grow on multiple levels just by training your body? It can have a positive impact in each phase of your game and your development.

I highly recommended that you start training to become a better athlete immediately. There are lots of different programs and training routines out there. Give it a try and watch your results soar!

Basketball Famous Players

Basketball Famous Players

I hope that these tips were helpful. I am sure that if you start applying these strategies to your game, you will see the results you want very quickly.

By Mike Jensen
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

2010 College Basketball Bracket

2010 College Basketball Bracket

First, what you need to do is find a website that you can get a bracket to fill out. There is a plethora of websites that you can go to and find a printable bracket. After selection Sunday they are all over the internet. These two sites also have brackets that you can fill out online and enter into a free pool to win money. I suggest filling at least one of these out just because they are free and anything is possible.

The next thing that you have to do once you print your bracket out is fill it out. I highly recommend filling it out in pencil since I can almost guarantee that you will second guess yourself. I say this because if I don’t use pencil when I fill my bracket out I would waste a lot of paper. Filling it out is very self explanatory. All you have to do is pick the winner for every game.

2010 College Basketball Bracket

2010 College Basketball Bracket

Now for picking the winning teams. Obviously, the best teams to pick are the number one seeded teams, but sometimes that is not the case. There are often upsets in the first round. The match-up between the five and twelve seeded teams in the first round is usually a good one to pick for an upset. It seems like in every tournament there is always a 12 seed that beats a 5 seed, if not more than one. Another pretty safe upset to pick is a nine seed over an eight seed. These two teams are typically pretty well matched and produce a good game.

One more thing about picking the winning teams is always go with your gut. If your gut feeling is that a team will get upset, go with it. I know of many instances that people don’t go with their gut and it ends up costing them the whole pool at the end of the tournament.

By James Kodiak
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Basketball Quotes

Basketball Quotes

What makes a saying funny? What makes a quote funny? In sports it is usually because it is outrageous, but there are other reasons. I will give you my top 5 funny basketball sayings or quotes, whatever you want to call them, and you can decide what makes them funny. So take a break from your daily basketball drills and practices and read these. And yes, if you were wondering if it is okay to have fun mixed when basketball, it is. Actually, it is fantastic. Isn’t that what the point of playing is? Now, when you are done laughing about these quotes get back to the court and be invigorated to bring your basketball game to the next levels.

Basketball Quotes

Basketball Quotes

5. “Some things you just can’t question. Like you can’t question why two plus two is four. So don’t question it, don’t try to look it up. I don’t know who made it, all I know is it was put in my head that two plus two is four. So certain things happen. Why does it rain? Why am I so sexy? I don’t know.” -Shaquille O’Neal

4. “These are my new shoes. They’re good shoes. They won’t make you rich like me, they won’t make you rebound like me, they definitely won’t make you handsome like me. They’ll only make you have shoes like me. That’s it.” -Charles Barkley

3. I believe in higher education. You know, 6’8″, 6’9″, 6’10″ -David Games

Basketball Quotes

Basketball Quotes

2. When the coach of Marquette was asked on how to make the game more exiting he came back with this answer, “Eliminate the referees, raise the basket four feet, double the size of the basketball, limit the height of the players to 5 feet 9 inches, bring back the centre jump, allow taxi drivers in for free and allow the players to carry guns.-Al Mcguire

1. “They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” -Wilt Chamberlin

I hope that these quotes gave your basketball game that extra boost you needed, especially if you were struggling. Sometimes the best medicine is laughter, so that is what I hope that I gave you. Some much needed laughter to help you game out and help you rekindle that love you had for basketball because of the joy that it bring to you. Yeah, and I have decided that what makes a basketball quote funny, something that all basketball players have experience. Like the last one. Everyone tells you that practice makes perfect, bla bla bla. Then that same person will tell you that no one is perfect. That can frustrate you, but if you are focusing on have fun, you will be fine.

By Lee Veldkamp
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Great coaches win games when it counts. Some coaches also make great interviews for the media writers by never shying away in victory or defeat, and giving great quotes. Even fewer have great personalities to go with their victories, and quotes that are insightful, memorable and sometimes so funny we cannot help but smile.

And then there are the select few, legends in their own time that will never be forgotten, such as Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi. Add Lou Holtz to the same list, not in the same class as Rockne and Lombardi, but because of his quick wit and quality comments. Successful coaches did not become so by being stupid, arcane and bovine. Holtz is sharp as a tack.

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Rockne (the Notre Dame Fighting Irish), Lombardi (the Green Bay Packers), and Holtz (the only coach to lead 6 college programs to bowl-game appearances) are all football coaches.

Enter basketball’s John Wooden, who ranks in the same class as Rockne and Lombardi.

Known as the “Wizard of Westwood”, Wooden won 665 games in 27 seasons at UCLA and 10 NCAA titles during this last 12 years, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. He also had an 88-game winning streak and two undefeated, back-to-back national championship teams.

Wooden’s UCLA record during his 10 National Championship years was 291-10 (not a misprint); it rounds to a 97% winning percentage and includes no less than 4 perfect 30-0 seasons.

Here are some of John Wooden’s most famous quotes:

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

“Never mistake activity for achievement.”

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”

“I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

“Ability is a poor man’s wealth.”

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.”

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.”

“It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.”

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

Notre Dame Basketball Coach

“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”

“There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.”

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

By Ed Bagley
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

What can you gain from playing rec sports? How about a job? In Washington D.C.? Working for the President of the United States?

Imagine that you love playing basketball, and are fairly good at it. After school as a child, you go to your mom’s work and play pick up games with other children in the neighborhood. You go to college and are good enough to play on the varsity team. Your senior year your teammates name you co-captain and in the highest profile game of your collegiate career you score 20 points against a nationally ranked team.

You end up playing professionally in Australia for a couple of years, but are not a standout Down Under.

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

When your basketball career is over you return to your home town and get a “real job,” but your passion for the game doesn’t wane.

Because of your love, you continue to play pick-up games with some of the guys you have met through your job. These games aren’t scheduled regularly, but when they are played, there are more than a few players whose names grace the pages of the newspapers.

Some run major corporations, some are successful in the non-profit world, some have household names like Michael Jordan, and some have strange names like Barack Obama.

In case you are unaware, I am describing what may have contributed to Arne Duncan being appointed Secretary of Education by President Obama.

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Duncan has always been a big fan of basketball. Growing up, Duncan would accompany his mother to her children’s center that catered to African-American youth on the South side of Chicago. He would play pick-up games with the other kids and got good enough to make the basketball team when he enrolled at Harvard.

After graduating magna cum laude, Duncan spent 4 years playing professionally before returning to Chicago to pursue a career in education.

Because of his high profile jobs, he ultimately met many of Chicago’s most famous people and started playing hoops with them whenever there was free time amongst all the busy schedules.

One of the guys he regularly played against was President Obama, then a state senator from Illinois. As Obama rose in the political spectrum, Duncan rose in the world of education, and in 2001 he was appointed CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

But even as their schedules got busier and busier, Obama, Duncan and several others still found time to get in a few games of roundball each year.

Playing basketball became an Election Day tradition for Obama, Duncan and the others. Every time Obama was up for office, the group would vote and then convene at a local gym to get their minds off the day’s goings-ons.

This continued even through Obama’s recent election in November, when Duncan joined other players to help Obama sweat out some nerves.

After the election results came in and Obama had the tough choice of selecting a cabinet, his mind didn’t stray far from the hardwood; and on January 20, 2009, once Obama was sworn into office, his good friend on and off the court, assumed the position of Secretary of Education.

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Barack Obama Playing Basketball

Now it is not everyone who knows people of such power, or who desire to be in a life of politics, but there is a lesson we can all learn from Duncan’s story: there are more than just health benefits to participating in rec sports. In some cases you can meet someone who will help you attain something you might not have been able to attain otherwise. Likewise, there may be someone you play with or against that you might be able to help down the road.

So next time you throw on your jersey or lace up your shoes, think about Arne Duncan and the possibilities the position he is in because of rec sports.

Keep sporting!

By Evan Pfaff
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Did you know that there are many different basketball games that you can play from the comfort of your home or apartment? The real question is whether or not people who enjoy this type of game in real life can get anything out of playing basketball games on the computer system. For the most part, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. But not for the reasons you might think. The reason why playing these kind of games can be so beneficial is because it actually improves your ability to concentrate.

Scientists have been studying what factors contribute to helping a person concentrate on a task for an extended period of time. Incredibly, what they discovered was that people who have some type of distraction that engages all of their senses will often times find it easier to come back to whatever they were working on and continue doing it without many problems. Best of all, people who make it a habit to consistently break up their work by playing games between intervals generally have a better ability to concentrate.

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Basketball games are unique because they let people play sports related game on a computer. While this concept is not necessarily new, very few of these types of games are generally playable over the Internet. More often than not, people who want to play basketball games need to do so using a game console that you plug into your television. Therefore, it is pretty cool to be able to play a game like this online.

If you happen to be somebody who has long wondered whether your lack of focus and attention deficit disorder could be treated by playing games, it might be worthwhile to do an experiment. This experiment will involve you to play basketball games for about 15 minutes and then going back to doing your work for approximately 60 minutes. By alternating back and forth like this, you might discover that you are able to get more work done in less time.

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Vanderbilt Basketball Arena

Regardless of whether or not there is a specific benefit associated with playing these type of games, most people agree that they can be a lot of fun. Therefore, you should try playing yourself. Just give it a try. What you might discover is that you really like the game and that you get something out of it that is very special. Just don’t forget to do some of your regular work two — basketball games cannot be allowed to take over your life!

By Steve Shyne
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Usa Womens Basketball

Usa Womens Basketball

The Women’s National Basketball Association, created in 1996, is the first women’s league to be fully endorsed by the NBA, their male counterpart. The first season began in June of 1997, following a much-celebrated gold medal win at the 1996 Summer Olympics for the USA Women’s Basketball team. The league is divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences, much like the NBA, and the playoffs result in the Finals between the advancing team from each conference.

The WNBA plays during the summer, between NBA seasons, using many of the same venues as their counterpart NBA teams. The regular season consists of 34 games, and during the middle of July, this play comes to a halt for the WNBA All-Star game, with the star players from the Eastern Conference facing off against the stars of the Western Conference. The fans get to vote throughout the season as to who they wish to see in this game.

Usa Womens Basketball

Usa Womens Basketball

The playoffs consist of series featuring the top four teams from each conference, with the first round between the first and second round being best of three series, and the finals being the best of five. Typically, the team with the best record will play the team with the fourth-best record, and the second and third best teams play each other in the first round. The winner of each series then play each other the second round (the conference finals), and the victor advances to the league championship finals.

The WNBA started its first season with only eight teams (1997). By the 2000 season, that number had doubled. Two teams were added in 1998, again in 1999, and four more joined the ranks in 2000. At the time, the league was collectively owned by the NBA. Upon finishing the 2002 season, the NBA sold the individual franchises of the WNBA to either their NBA counterparts hailing from the same city or to a third party owner. This caused two teams to relocated, and the Cleveland Rockers folded at the end of the 2003 season.

Usa Womens Basketball

Usa Womens Basketball

This was only the beginning of the troubles for the WNBA. The players threatened to go on strike in 2002 if they could not work out a new deal with the league, and this postponed the start of the 2003 season. Then, in October of 2004, Val Ackerman, the first president of the WNBA, announced her plan to resign. She was replaced in February of the following year by Donna Orender, the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour who had once played in the former Women’s Basketball League.

The first expansion team in years was awarded in February of 2005 to Chicago, taking the name the Chicago Sky. During the off season that same year, there were several changes to the governing rules of the WNBA to make it more similar to the NBA.

By Peter Portero
Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Ku Basketball Players

Ku Basketball Players

KU basketball has so many retired jerseys that the numbers are not actually retired, instead only the particular jerseys are enshrined while current players recycle the famous numbers. If it were not for this process of reusing numbers after the corresponding jerseys have been retired a program steeped in as much tradition as the University of Kansas would run the risk of actually running out of numbers to outfit their current roster.

The program which played its first season in the nineteenth century (1898) under head coach Doctor James Naismith (the inventor of the game of basketball) has experienced such tremendous success over the years that as of February, 2010 twenty-six (26) jerseys have been retired. While individually going through and scrutinizing every single retired jersey is beyond the scope of this article it is accurate to say that the gambit of enshrined jerseys spans from the curious number 0 (Doc Gooden) to number 60 (Max Falkenstein – a radio announcer). Max Falkstein holds the honor of being the only non-player on the list of retired jersey numbers. Mr. Falkstein, a 1948 graduate of KU, is credited with founding the KU Sports Network and serving an illustrious sixty year career (hence the retired number 60) behind a microphone where he covered over 1,750 basketball games and 650 football games – all for Kansas. Each of the retired jerseys hangs proudly in the Lawrence, Kansas basketball arena known as Allen Field House (named after famed former head coach “Phog” Allen).

Ku Basketball Players

Ku Basketball Players

The two names that are generally considered to be the best known amongst the list of retired KU basketball jersey numbers are those of Wilt Chamberlain (13) and Paul Pierce (34). Pierce is currently a star player and NBA Champion for the historic Boston Celtics NBA franchise. Wilt Chamberlain is widely considered to be the best basketball player in the history of the game. Even fans that argue that Chamberlain did not win the championships that Bill Russell did or have the athleticism of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant can agree that Wilt Chamberlain personally dominated an era unlike anyone else has ever done.

While the parameters for having jerseys retired vary from team to team and from sport to sport the guidelines at KU are actually pretty straightforward. The test generally involves accomplishing at least one of the following achievements:

Ku Basketball Players

Ku Basketball Players

• Being named National Players of the Year by either the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Associated Press (AP), or the Sporting News
• Being the winning recipient of either the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of Year, or the Oscar Robertson Trophy
• Being named as a consensus All-American, the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Academic All-American of the Year,or a two-time first team All-American.

These guidelines are just that -guidelines. While these metrics serve as the general prerequisites they are by no means carved in stone and are subject to the discretion of the University of Kansas administration.

Given the pace of KU basketball retired jersey numbers and the rule that current players can wear retired jersey numbers there is a decent chance that sometime in the coming years the University of Kansas will have to deal with having the same jersey number retired by two different players.

By Sam Noffs
Article Source: ezinearticles.com