The Arc of Basketball
1890s - The game invented by a Canadian teacher
1920s - Harlem Rens are best team in world. Game expanding by the month
1950s - In the basketball heart of America, New York City, betting scandals hit the game hard and cause CCNY and NYU, two of the powers of the era, to drop major college ball. There is no professional basketball, basically
1960s- The Celtics and UCLA Bruins run the show. America sends a bunch of college kids to the Olympics and they toy with the competition. The dunk is outlawed by the NCAA because darkies are ruining the game
1970s - the beginning of the Golden Era of the Beautiful Game. Knicks. Kareem. Walton. David Thompson. The ABA gets big, as do fros. (the 3 pointer gains traction), The Russkies cheat America out of a gold medal, but the closeness of the game shows us that the game is getting bigger and bigger overseas
1980s - The heart of the Golden Era. Every team in the NBA can really, really play the game. MJ, Hakeem, Magic, Larry all become legends. Monday nights at the end of March Madness come down to the wire every year. Georgetown is the coolest basketball school in the NCAA
1990s - Pat Riley introduces a physical, over coached, slowdown style to New York City. His philosophy expands outward to the rest of the country. The 3 pointer becomes a more prominent part of the game at the NBA level
2000s - The downward spiral begins, caused by:
1) AAU "coaches"
2) the rise of the 3 pointer as the primary offensive weapon
3) outdoor courts become unplayable across America because of double rims and drainage crowns, causing poor kids, the lifeblood of the game for its entire history (Jews, blacks, etc), to stop playing
4) the rise of the swat-block
5) the expansion of overcoached, slow down style of play as popularized by the Riley Knicks
We get out asses kicked at pretty much every international tournament, not just because they're better, but because we're worse. You doubt me? Watch game film of the 70s and 80s on NBAtv (if they ever decide to show any) and tell me that wasn't a better game. Up and down, midrange, fastbreak, catch and shoots, pretty jumpers, less coaching and more playing.
2015 - The game returns to greatness, as perfect outdoor courts are reintroduced, AAU "coaches" are regulated by a national organization of high school, college, and professional people who love the game, the swat block is laughed at instead of celebrated, a de-emphasis on the 3 takes hold in coaching circles causing scoring and shooting percentages to rise, all of which lead to a rise in national and global fan interest
1920s - Harlem Rens are best team in world. Game expanding by the month
1950s - In the basketball heart of America, New York City, betting scandals hit the game hard and cause CCNY and NYU, two of the powers of the era, to drop major college ball. There is no professional basketball, basically
1960s- The Celtics and UCLA Bruins run the show. America sends a bunch of college kids to the Olympics and they toy with the competition. The dunk is outlawed by the NCAA because darkies are ruining the game
1970s - the beginning of the Golden Era of the Beautiful Game. Knicks. Kareem. Walton. David Thompson. The ABA gets big, as do fros. (the 3 pointer gains traction), The Russkies cheat America out of a gold medal, but the closeness of the game shows us that the game is getting bigger and bigger overseas
1980s - The heart of the Golden Era. Every team in the NBA can really, really play the game. MJ, Hakeem, Magic, Larry all become legends. Monday nights at the end of March Madness come down to the wire every year. Georgetown is the coolest basketball school in the NCAA
1990s - Pat Riley introduces a physical, over coached, slowdown style to New York City. His philosophy expands outward to the rest of the country. The 3 pointer becomes a more prominent part of the game at the NBA level
2000s - The downward spiral begins, caused by:
1) AAU "coaches"
2) the rise of the 3 pointer as the primary offensive weapon
3) outdoor courts become unplayable across America because of double rims and drainage crowns, causing poor kids, the lifeblood of the game for its entire history (Jews, blacks, etc), to stop playing
4) the rise of the swat-block
5) the expansion of overcoached, slow down style of play as popularized by the Riley Knicks
We get out asses kicked at pretty much every international tournament, not just because they're better, but because we're worse. You doubt me? Watch game film of the 70s and 80s on NBAtv (if they ever decide to show any) and tell me that wasn't a better game. Up and down, midrange, fastbreak, catch and shoots, pretty jumpers, less coaching and more playing.
2015 - The game returns to greatness, as perfect outdoor courts are reintroduced, AAU "coaches" are regulated by a national organization of high school, college, and professional people who love the game, the swat block is laughed at instead of celebrated, a de-emphasis on the 3 takes hold in coaching circles causing scoring and shooting percentages to rise, all of which lead to a rise in national and global fan interest
posted by joe sweeney at 3:30 AM
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