Bayangos1

ToddBayangos
Ms.Lacey
February6,2015
6PageResearchPaper
TheGreatestSportofAllTime
Thesportthathasbeenstandingoutthemostinthelastcenturyandtwodecadeswasthe
gameofBasketball.ThissporthasbeenalloverthemapstartingfromtheAmericastoEuropeto
Asia.TheoriginsofBasketballhasbeenahistorylessontoallofuswhohadplayedthesporta
lot.Thewaysthatthissportchangemillionsofathletestothegamewaswhenaninstructoron
Massachusettsinventedagameusingasoccerballandapeachbasketballtoletpeopleplay
indoors.Thissporthasbeenpopularandevolvedoverthelast125yearstobeexact.Basketball
hasallaroundgenresstartingfromtheHighSchoolBasketballleaguesupuntiltotheProssuch
astheNationalBasketballAssociationorotherpeoplewouldcallit,TheNBA.Thegameof
Basketballhasbeendubbedtobethegreatestsportofalltime,becauseofitshistoryofthe
game,theracism,thewomenwhotookpartinthegame,itsevolution,andwhatmakesthesport
differentfromtheothersports.
ThehistoryofBasketballbeginswithhowthesportcametobeinthefirstplace.Some
peoplewerewonderinghowthesportcalledBasketballgotitsname,orhowdiditbecomeso
popularfromthestart.Whenlookingbackformorethan100yearsago,someonewithaballand
abasketwillsoonchangeeveryoneslivesjusttowhattheinventionwillbe.Inaccordanceto
NotableSportsFigure
,Dr.JamesNaismithwasbornCanadian,andinventedthegameof
Basketballusingasoccerball,apeachbasket,aladder,and10writtenrules(WendyKagan).
ThismeansthatthesportwascreatedbyaPhysicalEducationteacherjustbyusinganother
sportsball.Thehistoryofthemanwhocreatedthisphenomenalsporthadhisoriginsaswell,if


Bayangos2

hewasneverborn,thentherewillneverbeanybasketballgamestowatch.Whileeverythingis
happeningaccordingtohisowninvention,JamesNaismithwasabletogiveeveryonewhowere
abletowitnesshiscreation.AccordingtoJasonGeorge,Dr.JamesNaismithtransformeda
gamewhereplayerswouldthrowaballintoapeachbasket,withplayerspassingtheballinorder
tothrowtheball(
St.JamesEncyclopediaofPopularCulture
).Thismeansthatthegameof
Basketballbackinthe1890swasdifferentastothebasketballfromallovertheworldtoday.
Thegameofbasketballgoesbackwhenithasitsownhistoryaswelltowhere
discrimination,andracismhappens.Throughoutthe1890supuntilnow,weexperience
discriminationandracismonandoffthebasketballcourt.Nomatterblackorwhite,blue,purple,
green,wearestillbeingdiscriminatedeitherbecauseofourreligionorrace.Wheneverwe
encounterdiscrimination,wetendtobevulnerableforwhateverpeoplecaninsultuswith.One
examplewouldbeinafilmcalledGloryRoad,whoisaboutacoachwhosoonmadehistory.
Accordingtothisfilmitself,ThebasketballteamofTexasWesternCollege(nowcalled
UniversityofTexasatElPaso)iscoachedbyDonHaskinsputsinalineupconsistingonlyof
blackplayers.Throughoutthewholefilm,theAfricanAmericanathletesarebeingdiscriminated
becauseoftheirskin,andfacedinsults,whetheritisonandoffthecourt(
GloryRoad
).Thisfilm
portrayalindicatesthatwestillexperiencediscriminationevenweareplayingthesportthatis
intendedforeveryone.Eventodaywestillfacediscrimination,suchasbeinglookeddownupon,
eventhoughplayingthegameofbasketballisjustforfun,orwhenyouareonabasketballteam.
OneteamthatisbeingtalkedaboutwastheNBAteam,LosAngelesClippers,withtheir
manager,DonaldSterling.AccordingtoanCNNeditor,DonaldSterling,maderacistcomments
abouthergirlfriendbeingwithAfricanAmericanmen,despitebeingamanagerofabasketball.


Bayangos3

Hisonlyexcusewasthathewantedtohavesexwithhisgirlfriend,butgotjealousbecauseshe
waswithblackmen(DonaldSterlingPurportedlySaysJealousybehindRacistComments).This
provesenoughthatevenamanagerofabasketballteamcanberacisttopeoplejustbecauseof
theirskin.Butthequestionishowwouldtheplayersfeeliftheirmanagerthattheyareworking
forisracist?
Thegameofbasketballwouldneverbeenentertainingwhenwewatchourgender
counterpartsplaythegame.Womenonthegameofbasketballcansometimesboresomepeople,
buttothosewholovethegameofbasketballarewillingtospendmanyjusttowatchthemplay.
Again,liketheirmalecounterparts,theywouldstartfromtheHighSchoolandstarttothepros,
theyevenhaveaWomenNationalBasketballAssociationortheWNBA.Thesamethingapplies
tothegameofbasketball,thisleagueforwomenneedstohaveahistoryastohowtheywere
abletomadeitintothegameofbasketball.AccordingtothewebsiteoftheWNBA,anauthor
mentionedthatWomen'sbasketballhascomealongwayfromitshumblebeginningsin1892
meaningthatithasbeenquitealonghistoryforwomentobeinvolvedinthesport(Jenkins,
HistoryofWomensBasketball).Thatprettymuchsumsupthatwomenwhowantedtoget
involvedcanmakehistory,whethertheyareofdifferentgender.Recently,therewastheNBA
2015CelebrityAllStarGame,wherecelebritiesorWNBAplayersparticipateforcharitiesand
fortheloveofthegameofbasketball.AccordingtoJustinL.Abrotsky,a13yearoldLittle
LeagueplayernamedMoneDavisparticipatedinthecelebritygameandshecompletely
outplayedacelebrity,KevinHart.Butthereweresomewomenwhoparticipatedaswell,suchas
SarahSilverman(Abrotsky,USAToday).Intheveryend,womenwouldparticipateinthese
eventsjustforfunandfortheloveofthegameofbasketball.Therewerehistoriesthatwere


Bayangos4

madeeventoday,suchasawomandunkingonabasketballgamewithtwohandstwiceinone
game,orevenwinningtheGoldMedalfromtheOlympics.Thegameofbasketballcanspread
throughanyonefromeverywherearoundthewholeworld.Whetheritseitheramaleorfemale,
blackorwhite,weshareacommonthing,loveforthegameofbasketball.
Theevolutionofthegameofbasketballhasspreadoutthroughoutthewholeworld.
Whenthegameofbasketballwascreated,itstartedinMassachusettsbyJamesNaismith.Then
inaccordancetoanonlinesourceaboutthetimelineoftheevolutionofbasketball,backfrom
1891.Backthen,theyusedasoccerballasanofficialbasketball,butin1894,Dr.Naismithhad
changedtheofficialballfromapeachballtoarealballbyaskingA.G.Spaldingtomakehim
one("*NatHolman*TheMan,HisLegacy,andCCNY.").Thismeansthatbeforeweholdareal
basketball,theyusedothersportsballtobehelpthemcreatethesport.Anotherexamplefrom
theonlinesourceaboutthetimeline,isthattheychangedthenumberofplayersthatisallowed.
Backthenwhenthesportwascreated,theyputinsevenpeoplefromeachteamtoplay,but
today,theyallowfiveplayersfromeachteamtobeinthecourttoavoidovercrowded.Ifthisrule
wasappliedtoday,thenalotofplayerswouldbeconfusedandthecourtwillgetovercrowded.
Thisevolutionforthesporthadchanged,anditchangedalloverathletesfromhighschool
studentsuptothepros.Whentheevolutionofbasketballchanged,itchangedonhistory,from
thecreationoftheNationalBasketballAssociationin1949,andHarryBuckLew,becoming
thefirstAfricanAmericantoplayinaprofessionalgame.Howtheseaccomplishmentscameto
evolutionizedchangedthepeoplewholovedthegameofbasketball,evenforthecreatoritself.
AnotherexampleoftheevolutionofbasketballisontheNationalBasketballAssociation,to
wheretheywouldintroducethefirstAfricanAmericanplayertoeverplayintheNBA.


Bayangos5

AccordingtoRichardGoldstein,EarlLloydbecamethefirstAfricanAmericantoeverplay
basketballintheNBA,towherehebecameagoodrebounderandadefender.ButonFebruary
27,2015,hediedattheageof86years,rememberinghimtobetheHallofFamerwho
revolutionizedthegameofbasketballtowhatitistoday("EarlLloyd,N.B.A.sFirstBlack
Player,Diesat86.").WithoutEarlLloyd,basketballplayerssuchasKobeBryant,LebronJames
orevenMichaelJordanwonteverbecomepopularandthegameofbasketballwouldhavebeen
differentiftheynevercametobeintheNBA.
Whatmakesthegameofbasketballsodifferentfromothersportsisthatitistheonly
sportthatyoucanactuallybounceaballinto.UnlikeAmericanfootballtowhereyoucant
dribbleaballthatisshapedlikeasphereandtowhereitcantbounceonallsides.Accordingto
astudentfromtheUniversityofChicagonamedSamZacher,basketballisconsideredtobethe
sporteverbecauseitrequiresdribbling,passing,andshooting.Italsorequiresrawphysical
attributessuchasheight,andpower("PointsinthePaint:WhyBasketballIstheBestSport.").
Thismeansthatinthissport,youneedtohavetheheightandcertainskillstoeverplaythegame
ofbasketball.ButthesportstandsoutasitbecameaninternationalsportfromalloverAsia,
Europe,TheAmericas,andevenAustralia.FromtheNationalBasketballAssociationtothe
FIBAbasketball,itbecameasensationalsportascomparingtoAmericanfootballorsoccerto
whereothersportsreceivelittleattention.AnexamplecangotowhereacountryinAsia,the
PhilippineshavethecopiedtheNBAbymakingtheirownbasketballassociationcalledthe
PhilippineBasketballAssociation.AstowhereintheUnitedStates,itwelcomesanyonefrom
anycountry,butinthePhilippines,itisonlyopentothosewhowereresidinginthePhilippines.
Buttoday,theywelcomeaswellpeoplefromallovertheworld,andtheywouldcallthem


Bayangos6

imports,becausetheywerefromothercountriestoliveinthePhilippines.Othercountriessuch
asChinaandSpainhadcreatedtheirownNationalLeaguetowhereNBAplayerstosometimes
playoverseasinordertoseekabetterlifetoplaythanplayingintheNationalBasketballLeague.
Thegameofbasketballhasbecameapopularoncertainpeoplesuchascelebrities.This
sporthasbecomerenownforcelebritiesorpolitics.Oneindividualwhowouldplaythesportwas
thePresidentoftheUnitedStates,BarackObama.Thepresidentevenhasabasketballcourtin
theWhiteHouseandwouldevenplaywithotherpeople.OtherknownindividualssuchasAdam
Sandlerwouldplaythissportandwouldincludeitinhismovie,GrownUps.Thisfilmhas
portrayedthemaslittlekidstowheretheywonachampionshipandbecameagoodsetoffriends
untiltheircoachdied.Whentheywerechallengedbytheteamthattheybeatonthe
championshipgamewhentheywerekids,theywereexhaustedbecausetheyhaventplayedfora
longtime.
Inconclusion,thegameofbasketballisasportthatmanypeoplewouldconsidertoplay,
sinceitisfun,anditcanbeplayedwithfriendsorfamily.Thissportseparatesfromtheother
sportsbecauseofitshistory,theevolutionofthegame,thepopularityofthegame,andthe
eventsthathappenedthroughoutthewhole100years.Thissportinspiredmetoplaybasketball
andIwasnewtothesportwhenIwasin5thgrade.Fromeverygrade,Ipracticedbasketballto
getbetter,andwatchedotherpeopleplaythegame.Tobetruthful,thisgameismeanttobefun
tothosewhoeverlovesthegameofbasketball.Therearecertainbasketballathletestowhere
theywouldlookdownonotherathletesbecauseeitheroftheirsizeortheirskills.Iveseenthis
habitatthegymandtomyopinion,accordingtoafriend,isthatplayingabasketballgameisnot


Bayangos7

meanttobeaseriousthing,butitistohavefun.Thissportissupposedtobeenjoyingthegame
withyourfriendseitherwhenyouareplayingorjustwatchingbasketballplayersplay.


Bayangos8

WorkCitedPage
Abrotsky,JustinL."13yearoldMo'neDavisSchoolsKevinHartatNBAAllStarCelebrity
Game."
USAToday
.N.p.,13Feb.2015.Web.17Feb.2015.
"DonaldSterlingPurportedlySaysJealousybehindRacistComments."
CNN
.Ed.JasonHanna.
CableNewsNetwork,11May2014.Web.04Feb.2015.
George,Jason."Naismith,James(18611939)."
St.JamesEncyclopediaofPopularCulture
.Ed.
SaraPendergastandTomPendergast.Vol.3.Detroit:St.JamesPress,2000.470471.
GaleVirtualReferenceLibrary
.Web.26Jan.2015.
GloryRoad
.Dir.JamesGartner.Prod.JerryBruckheimer.Perf.JoshLucasandJonVoight.
BuenaVista,2006.Online.
Goldstein,Richard."EarlLloyd,N.B.A.sFirstBlackPlayer,Diesat86."
TheNewYorkTimes
.
TheNewYorkTimes,27Feb.2015.Web.02Mar.2015.
Jenkins,Sally."HistoryofWomen'sBasketball."
WNBA.com:
.N.p.,n.d.Web.15Feb.2015.
Kagan,Wendy."Naismith,James."
NotableSportsFigures
.Ed.DanaR.Barnes.Vol.3.Detroit:
Gale,2004.11231125.
GaleVirtualReferenceLibrary
.Web.26Jan.2015.
"*NatHolman*TheMan,HisLegacy,andCCNY."
*NatHolman*TheMan,HisLegacy,and
CCNY
.N.p.,n.d.Web.17Feb.2015.
Zacher,Sam."PointsinthePaint:WhyBasketballIstheBestSport."
TheChicagoMaroon
.
UniversityofChicago,01May2014.Web.02Mar.2015.