Playing Basketball

Classic Quarantine Basketball

Here's a short video on how to play Classic 21!

Classic Basketball.mov

I’m at game point, criss cross you’re at a loss, swish swoosh, I just made a basket! My favorite thing to do during quarantine is play basketball. I choose this activity because I enjoy being outside and playing basketball, and I love the NBA. My favorite NBA player is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Basketball strengthens your bones and muscular system. It makes you stronger. Your bones become thicker and denser. Playing basketball can help you with your hand-eye coordination. You have to be able to pass, catch, shoot, dribble, and not lose control of the ball. It makes you focus on what you’re doing. Playing basketball is a good way to make friends. Neighbors can come play if there is no quarantine. Basketball allows you not to be lonely, and have someone to talk to and rely on. There are many health benefits to playing basketball, like making you stronger, improving coordination, and making friends.

Playing basketball is simple. To play basketball, you will need a basketball and a basketball goal, your arms to shoot, your brain to calculate angles, and your eyeballs to see the basket go swish once you make it. Here are the steps to play: Go outside with a basketball. Make sure you have a basketball hoop. Shoot the ball at the hoop. If you don’t make it, try again, but aim for the box. Make sure you are holding the ball with two hands. If you’re by yourself, you can practice target practice by setting up different places to shoot from and keep practicing from those places. If you have somebody that wants to play with you, you can play PIG, which is a game about shooting from any place in your yard or driveway. If you make it, the other player has to make that shot also. If they miss it, they get a letter and you keep on doing that until someone spells PIG, and they lose. But if you miss the basket, it's the other player’s turn and they get to shoot from wherever they want and you have to make it. There are other types of basketball games too, such as one-on-one or two-on-two. They have the same rules. You can play make it take it or regular. Make it, take it, same rules as regular, but if you make it, you get the ball back. If you miss it, try to get the rebound before someone else does. If you play a regular game, a reach-in foul is when you hit the person on accident. Don’t try to intentionally hit the person. If fouled, go to the free throw line and shoot two shots. On the second one, if you miss it, the other player can get the rebound and if once the ball leaves your hands, the other player can run up and try to get the rebound. Last but not least, my favorite right now, 21, where each person tries to be the first to get 21 points. The same rules as regular, if you shoot it and make it, you go to the three pointer or free throw line and shoot until you miss. If you miss, one of the other players can alley-oop it back up. When they do this, you’ll get reset to zero and the other player gets one point and they get to shoot from either the three point line or free throw line. Those are most of the ways you can play.

In 1891 an incredible, motivational game called basketball was invented. James Naismith invented the game. He brought a basket and hung it on a pole and there was a ball they had to shoot in the hole. The first hoops were peach baskets. This is how the sport got its name. They played it at the YMCA where James Naismith worked as a PE teacher. In the first game, a player named William made the first and only basket. The game was instantly popular and the kids loved it, just like I love it. At first, it was a tiny little court, only 1800 square feet. It has grown in the United States a lot because of great players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant RIP, James Hardin and even my favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now there is a backboard, a square on the backboard, net and rim and a different type of basketball. There are more rules now, not just people running around the basket trying to get the ball and shoot it.

I play basketball because it helps me with my strength and it’s something I’m better than my brother at. You should play basketball because it will help you with your muscular system and you might just get super good at it. If you are at home and you want to get off electronics, you should go play basketball outside. Then you won’t be bored during the quarantine! Please email me @ tbailey@inspiremuncie.org about your favorite NBA player and other types of basketball you play. Have fun playing 21!