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How to score a lot of points in basketball
How to score a lot of points in basketball
10+ Offensive Basketball Tips to Help You Score More Points
There’s a lot more that goes into good offensive basketball than dribbling down the court and shooting. No matter how many times you out “Kobe!” you still need to know your fundamentals to thrive in basketball. To help you get to that point, we created some tips to help improve your game.
What are some offensive basketball tips that can help you score more points?
One offensive basketball tip that can improve your game is to practice shots that you’re going to take during games. Other tips to boost your offense and score more points are to become a good passer and to learn the importance of player and ball movement.
When implementing the tips mentioned in this article, remind yourself that you’re not going to be an expert with each of these topics overnight. With everything in life, you’ll start as a beginner but with continued practice, you’ll get closer to becoming an expert.
For that reason, we invite you to read on and to improve the offensive side of your game!
Practice Shooting from Different AnglesIf you’re trying to improve your shot, work on shots that you’re going to take during games. While shooting from half-court and behind the backboard may be fun, they don’t make you a better player.
The same can be said for 3-pointers if you don’t shoot threes during games. Keep in mind that the more shots you take during practice the better you’ll become over time.
Try to keep this in mind going forward as the principle applies to every aspect of life.
When shooting in practice, make a mental note to work on your fundamentals. This means following through on your shots, keeping your hand relaxed and keeping your fingers pointed out toward the basket.
To help you practice, consider using a multi-colored ball. This will allow you to see the rotation of the ball and determine if you’re shooting the ball correctly. You also shouldn’t think too much when you’re practicing your shots.
Don’t worry about missing shots, as you’ll miss plenty of shots during practices and games. Develop a mindset where a missed shot doesn’t affect your performance.
To help you score more baskets, try focusing on the target and not thinking about the shot. Shooting is all about muscle memory and each shot you take builds up that muscle memory up.
A couple other things you can do to improve your shooting includes filming yourself shooting and creating a routine. Filming yourself shooting is great because it gives you another way of determining what is working and not working with your shot.
Develop Court AwarenessCourt awareness is all about understanding everything that’s going on in a game at any given moment.
Things you should always be aware of include: your positioning in relation to other players, where the coach is and if he’s calling for anything, how the defense is positioning itself and how much time is left in the quarter and on the shot clock.
While this may seem like a lot, the more you keep these things in the back of your mind, the more likely they’ll become second nature. Before you know it, you’ll have no problem processing everything in your head without thinking about it.
If you take mental notes of your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ll also be able to quickly determine your best move(s) going forward.
Being able to decipher what the defense is trying to do and then adjusting your play accordingly is essential.
Stay flexible as you’ll be presented with many scenarios during games. Don’t force the issue and take advantage of what the defense gives you. Keep in mind that the more players are pressured, the more prone they are to making mistakes.
Become a Better Passer in BasketballScorers may get most of the glory, but good passers are just as valuable. The best passers are unselfish and willing to give the basketball up for the good of the team. Anyone can become a good passer.
It’s all about adopting a mindset that you don’t need to be the one scoring to make a positive impact for your team. Try and trick yourself into thinking of an assist as the same thing as scoring yourself.
If you’re able to do this, you’ll have no problem with giving up the ball and tallying up the assists.
No one becomes a good passer overnight. One aspect of all good passers is that they all keep their heads up as play goes on. This will allow you to read defenses more easily and you won’t be as preoccupied with handling the ball.
Good passers also have a good concept of timing and flow and can effectively lead targets and fit passed balls into tight windows. These windows of opportunity come and go, capitalize on them as they present themselves.
As you play more and focus on your passing, you’ll develop a sixth sense for when these windows open and close.
This skill is invaluable as every winning team has good passers. You don’t need to top the scoresheet to win basketball games. Unselfish play goes a long way and is necessary for teams looking to win.
To become a good passer, you should work on the basics and add more difficult tasks as you go. You should start with 2-handed passes and go from there. Once you have them down in practice, start implementing them more into your game and start working on 1-handed passes in practice.
The ability to make a 1-handed pass becomes increasingly valuable as you play at higher levels. If you need some inspiration, look at old footage of some of the greatest NBA passers such as: Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.
These guys are as good as they come and you’re sure to learn a thing or two by watching them.
When it comes to passing, try not to overdo it. There’s no reason to turn a 2-handed chest pass into a 1-handed behind-the-back pass because it looks cool.
Making the flashy and more difficulty pass for sake of it is typically a recipe for disaster.
To go along with passing the ball well, players also need to know how to receive the basketball. Not every passed ball is going to be on the money. Players need to know and account for this.
As long as the ball is in their general vicinity, players need to have the ability to go and get the ball.
Work On Your SpacingIf you have young children, you already know that spacing is non-existent in the youngest age divisions. Whether it’s basketball, soccer or another sport, young kids tend to go directly to the ball.
We want to distance ourselves from this mindset. Good spacing across the floor offers your team different looks. Spacing also spreads out the defense, creating gaps.
Ideally, we’d like our perimeter players to be 10 or so feet away from each other.
Players that are bunched up together are easier to defend than players that are properly spaced apart. You don’t want to be in situations where a single defender can guard multiple players.
Spreading out also creates more passing lanes. This makes it much harder for other defenders to move around the court and double team players.
As a player, it’s always better to do something than nothing. The exception to this rule is taking your defender to the ball without any apparent reason for doing so.
Some acceptable reasons to move toward the ball include: setting a screen, positioning yourself for a pass or making a cut.
You shouldn’t worry about being an expert on spacing right away but you should try and grasp the concept and implement it into your game.
Ultimately, good spacing allows for better looks and gives your team the best opportunity to score.
Focus on Rebounding in BasketballCoaches love players that follow up their shots and put themselves in a position to grab their own rebounds. Let’s face it, even the best players are going to miss half the shots they take.
For this reason alone, it’s imperative that you’re active and follow up your own shots.
It may seem obvious but every possession gives you a better chance of scoring and winning the game. Each rebound throughout a game is another chance to score.
By exerting a little extra effort, you can increase your team’s rebounding percentage and give your team a better chance of winning.
An offensive rebound is also likely to produce a better scoring chance as the ball will usually be closer to the basket than from where it was originally shot from.
Offensive rebounds also offer the chance to swing balls out wide to perimeter players who are now open due to their defender crashing the net.
Remind yourself that basketball is a numbers game and that the more opportunities you get on the offensive side of the ball, the more likely you’re going to come away with a win.
Playing Off the Ball in BasketballYou don’t have to have the ball in your hands to make an impact on the game. You can make an impact by always keeping your feet moving and never standing still.
This means getting open for passes, stretching the defense out and setting screens.
If you’re always moving, the defense will always be reacting, which will make it harder for them to double-team your players. If you’re good at reading the defense, you can set plenty of screens and make cuts as you see fit.
The best players in the game don’t need the ball to make an impact on the game. Understanding the concept of timing and flow is instrumental. Try and mix-up the speed at which you play.
You don’t always need to go 100 miles per hour to be valuable. Sometimes being slower and more methodical is the right play. If you’re good at changing speeds, you’ll always keep the defense on their toes.
Another way to keep the defense on their toes is to always be open for a potential pass. A player that doesn’t have any chance of getting the ball is a player that doesn’t need to be guarded, which allows the opposition to double-team other players.
Importance of Moving the Ball in BasketballGood ball movement is critical for any team that wants to win. It opens up all kinds of opportunities for the offense and keeps the defense guessing. Moving the ball around puts the opposition into a reactionary state, where errors are more prone to occur.
Moving the ball around also helps with finding the best available shot for your team. Why take a contested shot when you can pass to an open player? The more you move the ball around the more likely someone will become open.
To get the most out of moving the ball around, you have to trust all of your players. You can’t pass up wide-open shots because your star player isn’t the one with the ball.
For this reason, it’s important players think about what they’re going to do with the ball before they receive it. Receiving a pass and then dribbling indefinitely while contemplating what to do defeats the whole purpose of moving the ball around.
Attack the Weaknesses of the DefenseDon’t be shy about attacking the weaknesses of your opponents. If there’s a size disparity between your center and their center, attack the paint. If the other team can’t defend a 3-pointer, shoot from deep.
Your team should have a basic game plan going into a game but should remain flexible if the defense is weak in certain areas. Rarely will you come across teams that are great at defending everything. Find what they’re weak at defending and look to attack those areas.
If you find that the other team is doing the same thing throughout most of the game, switch up the offense and exploit what the defense is showing. If you know how the defense positions itself, you should have no problem taking advantage of it.
Don’t be afraid to push the pace and make the defense react to your team’s movement. The more pressure you put on a defense, the more likely they’ll slip up and present more ways for your team to score.
Utilize the Triple Threat PositionThe triple threat position involves putting yourself in a position where you have the option to dribble, pass or shoot. This position makes the defense work harder on account of not knowing which of the three you’re going to do.
The position consists of the player’s feet spread apart with the pivot foot forward and the ball in both hands, held between the knee and shoulder to protect it. Knees should be bent and the head should remain up.
From this position you have the option to attack the basket, move the ball around or shoot. The position keeps the defense honest as they never know for sure which of the three options you’re going to choose.
If you want to keep the defense guessing, the triple threat position is for you.
Converting on Fast Break OpportunitiesKeeping turnovers to a minimum is key as they lead to fast break opportunities, which lead to easy points.
Fastbreak opportunities come in the form of breakaways, 2-on-1s, 3-on-1s, etc. and are reliable sources of points as they usually come off turnovers where the defense doesn’t have time to get ready.
You should practice fast break opportunities with your team so you can successfully perform them during games. Doing so will help you also help build up your endurance.
Stay Confident / Don’t Worry About SlumpsAs a player you’ve got to realize that slumps are going to happen throughout your athletic career.
They’re going to happen to everyone in fact, so that’s why it’s important to build your teammates up when they’re going through slumps because you’d want them to do the same for you.
The best thing you can do when you’re going through a slump is to continue shooting and to continue to believe that every shot you take is going to go in.
If you start over-thinking your shooting, your shots are likely not going to find their mark. If your head isn’t on straight, your shots probably won’t be either.
Every day in practice you should take shots that you’re going to take in games. The purpose of doing this is to simulate game situations, so you don’t cave under the pressure when the moment comes during a game.
This means taking contested shots in practice and shooting/playing, in the same manner, you would during a game.
For example, if you’re a center you shouldn’t spend most or all of practice shooting from behind the three-point line. While this can be fun, make sure most of your practice goes to improving your skills that you’ll use during games.
It’s also important to not let your emotions get the best of you. You’re going to go through plenty of slumps throughout your basketball career and you need to know that’s just part of the game.
You’re also going to go through plenty of stretches where you get insanely hot and everything you shoot goes in. It’s important in both situations that you don’t get down on yourself and you don’t get overly cocky, as both can negatively impact your game.
Sure, sometimes we need to reevaluate our games but most of the time we need to keep doing what we’re doing. If you had a bad game or two, that doesn’t mean there’s something fundamentally wrong with your game.
The important thing is to keep doing what you do best because that got you to the position you’re in. Once your slump stretches a couple of weeks or maybe even a month long, then it might be time to re-examine how you’re playing.
In the grand scheme of things, a month-long slump doesn’t necessarily indicate anything is wrong but it’s probably best you self-assess your past performance to see what you can do better.
No matter how long you’ve played basketball or will play basketball, there is always something you can improve on and self-assessment plays a huge role in that.
It’s also important to realize that nerves and butterflies are just part of the game. You’d be crazy to think that LeBron James, Michael Jordan or Stephen Curry never had any nerves in the NBA.
It’s going to happen and there’s nothing wrong about it. The more pressure-filled situations you put yourself into, the easier they’ll become for you to handle.
So while they might be quite stressful in the moment, it’s important you experience them so you can get better in these types of situations. You should try and keep in mind that you’re playing a kid’s game and that most people would love to be in the position you’re in.
I have found this to be a good way to put things in perspective.
The best players in the world go through slumps. Michael Jordan, the best player in the world, went through is fair share of slumps as did any other NBA legend.
The difference with Jordan and the other legends is that they knew that slumps were part of basketball and that if they kept playing their games they’d be fine.
When you’re slumping, you need to remind yourself what has worked for you in the past and helped you get where you are today.
The next time you go through a rough stretch of games, try visualizing what you could do better. Some people might think visualizing success is a silly thing but it does work.
Visualizing what you’ll do in certain situations will help you perform to your potential in games.
This includes knowing what you would do when someone passes you the ball in the post or if somebody swings the ball to you out wide.
The point of visualizing success whether it be in practice or before games is to know what you’d do in a game when the ball comes your way.
Master the Free-Throw LineOne of the best ways you can improve your scoring is to become a better free-throw shooter. In many ways, free throws are free points for the taking.
The best players in the world make around nine out of every 10 free throws and there’s no reason you can’t do the same with enough practice. If you’re sitting there thinking “why do I need to be good at shooting free throws?”, it’s because points from free throws add up quickly.
Free throws might only be worth one point each, but they’re invaluable as it’s not uncommon for college and NBA teams to score 10-20 points from the free-throw line.
So what’s the best way to get better at free throws? The best way is to take hundreds and hundreds of shots every day to build up muscle memory. The more you do something the better you’ll become at it and free throws are no exception.
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How to Get to the Rim and Score More Points
In basketball, driving to the hoop and attacking the basket are important if you want to score more points (just ask Michael Jordan or LeBron James). Of course, scoring more points is only important if you’re into winning the game, having the crowd cheer your name, and having your own sneaker someday, but maybe you’re not into that kind of thing…
Seriously though, games get more competitive as you get older, and even if you’re a very good athlete, you will not always be to quickest person on the floor. When you are slower than your defender, you still need to be able to drive to the hoop. I’m going to give you some ways to use good footwork to get by your defender in this article.
Most players in High School and beyond can get from the three point line to the rim on one dribble, (don’t worry, we’ll cover that if you can’t already) which enables teams to get in the paint more quickly and with fewer turnovers, resulting in better basketball. Footwork is the key to being able to get to the rim against an athletic defender with the fewest dribbles possible.
The footwork I that I would like to cover here includes the Jab Step, Cross Step, Load Step and the Rocker Step. These are moves that players can utilize to improve their ability to drive to the hoop. All offensive moves that I describe here should start from triple threat position, where the player has the ball just off their shooting side hip in an athletic stance, in a position from which they can shoot, pass, or dribble. In triple threat position, most players establish a pivot foot and a lead leg right away. The lead leg is the leg and foot that is legally allowed to move, because the other foot remains planted as the pivot foot. All of the footwork described here is done by the lead leg. Ok, let’s get to the moves so that you can get to the rim, dunk the basketball, get fouled, hit the free throw and win the game, (but I may be getting ahead of myself).
Jab Step
The first piece of footwork that every basketball player should know is the Jab Step. When performing a jab step, the player with the ball starts in triple threat position, and jabs a foot out toward the defender and quickly brings it back into triple threat. It is used for several reasons, such as getting a defender to back up so you can get off a jump shot, to move sideways so you can drive to the opposite side, or to get him or her to ultimately move closer to you so that you can execute a rocker step and get to the rim. Here is a video of a player executing a typical jab-step.
Cross Step
Also called the crossover step, the player starts from the triple threat position. You simply move your lead foot across your body on your first step toward the hoop. As an example, a player may step with her right foot over to her left side and past the defenders right foot, so she can drive to her left. The cross step is used to get past an opponent and to protect the basketball with your body simultaneously. A player with a good cross step and of average height can get to the rim from the three point line on one dribble. Here is a video of a player using a cross step to get to the rim.
Load Step
This move is used to gain some momentum on your drive to the hoop, to make it easier to get by your defender. To perform the load step, from triple threat (bet you didn’t see that coming), you take a step backward with your lead leg, actually away from the hoop and your defender. Then, you bring that foot forward and past your defenders hip on your first step to the hoop. It’s extremely effective when used as a cross step, stepping across your defenders body. Once you have your defender on your hip, it’s simply a matter of continuing the drive all the way to the hoop. Here is a video of a player using the load step.
Rocker Step
The rocker step is used to get your defender to lean or move towards you, making it easier to go by him. Starting in triple threat (you thought I’d forget to say that, didn’t you?) you make a jab step, but make sure you keep your back leg “loaded up” with your weight, don’t transfer all of your weight to your front foot, then, bring it back as though you feel your jab step didn’t work. Make sure you keep your eyes on your defenders feet, because as soon as he follows you back, shifting his weight forward or actually stepping towards you, you blow by him using the back leg that you kept loaded to spring past him for a lay-up. Here is the rocker step video.
Using the proper footwork will allow the less athletic basketball player to still drive to the basket, and will make very athletic players even better. Work on these moves in practice and the off-season, and good luck this year!
About the Author
Brett Cavalieri CSCS, is a basketball coach at Westbrook High School in Westbrook Connecticut. He has coached both boys and girls of all ages at the Rec., Travel, AAU, and High School level. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He believes that sports teach all players the life-long lesson of how to be a good teammate, and creates a love of exercise, improving health.
How to score 30 points per match - 10 ways from Dirk Nowitzki - Ball For Life - Blogs
In the 2010/11 playoffs, Dirk Nowitzki writes history with his game. The numbers of 28.4 points per game on average with 51.7% field goals and 92.9% from free throws do not give a complete picture of how exactly he scores his points. So, a short look at Dirk's most common types of attacks:
1. Medium one-foot throw with the blade off the defender.
Let's start with Nowitzki's unique way of shooting. It is obvious that mere mortals, young players and their coaches should avoid such shots. In itself, a one-footed throw is very rare - sometimes it can be seen in the game of small players, perhaps Steve Nash, but Marcelinho Huertas, but not in the performance of a player with a height of 213 centimeters. The spectacle is amazing even for defenders of Dirk. It is not possible to prevent, cover or otherwise defend against such a throw.
Moreover, Dirk can even see several variations of a throw from one leg.
A) Beating with his back to the ring
B) Facing the ring, abruptly breaking the distance and falling back.
C) Beating in the three-second zone and pushing off with the right (!!!) foot, a throw follows with a deviation.
2. Caught - threw.
Even Dirk rarely, but there are situations when he remains completely open on the court - here you can be sure that the ball will not even touch the temples of the ring. However, if the defender is nearby, but gapes a little, then in this case, retribution will follow immediately. A technically impeccable catch and shoot in which it should be noted that even before the ball comes to Dirk, the German is already ready to throw - this makes his throw fast, but not hasty.
3. Creation of space and throw.
If there was a head-to-head championship without a lead, Nowitzki would definitely play in the final. Perhaps only Kobe Bryant can boast the same ability to create opportunities for himself to shoot accurately without resorting to dribbling the ball. A fairly simple feint, the so-called jab-step, allows you to swing the opponent so that he retreats literally 10-15 centimeters back, as a result, space is created between the attacker and the defender, a slight deviation of the thrower and it will be possible to resist such a throw only, When does the next NBA season start?
4. Throw from medium distance after dribbling.
As one of the journalists rightly remarked: “Here is the scouting dossier on Dirk. If he hits the ball on the floor 3 times, he is a regular player. 2 or less - unstoppable. Watch and learn." A very fair point, as Nowitzki is great at attacking from the dribble and he doesn't need a lot of hits to create a shooting opportunity for himself. Most often, like many right-handers, when attacking from a medium distance, he will go to the left side, stop abruptly, lean back a little (if necessary) and perform his killing throw.
5. Shot display and exit.
The classic move of all snipers who are dangerous from a distance. Since defenders know that such an attacker easily scores his shots, often, in order to create an unhindered attack, it is enough to perform a simple shot display. The defender jumps on such a deception, and the attacker has further freedom of choice of action.
6. Display for a throw after the completion of the dribble.
One of the most dangerous weapons in Dirk's arsenal. Again, everyone knows how good he is at shooting after a dribble and very often defenders buy into Nowitzki's tricky displays after a dribbling stop. As a result, Dirk either performs a free throw after a small deviation, or finds contact with the defender's body and goes to the free throw line, which, with his high percentage of hits, is tantamount to an accurate field goal. Most often, in addition to a simple throw display, defenders are led to a feint, which at one time was especially popular with Kevin McHale, the so-called up and under. The main difference is that the future head coach of the Houston Rockets did it by spinning opponents in the center position with his back to the basket, while Dirk perfectly learned to use it by beating defenders from medium or long range after stopping dribbling.
7. Leaving immediately.
Dirk Nowitzki is not the fastest and sharpest player even for his position. But sometimes this is not necessary, and physical qualities can be replaced by an understanding of the game situation and the ability to see the development of events in advance. Watch closely how in this example of Dirk's attacks, he is ready to move before the ball touches his hands. One foot is set back, the body is ready to make a movement to the ring as soon as the ball touches the toes. And this makes it possible, even being an average athlete, to get ahead of the defenders.
8. Pivot turn.
Dirk may not be good at ball dancing, but he is quite capable of changing direction by dribbling the ball. One of his low-post feints is to start dribbling to one side and then take the ball with the other hand to go the other way and turn around, leaving the defender in the cold.
9. Throw after a turn.
Dirk can shoot both with a classic shot from a distance after a turn in the post position, and already with the addition of the above tricks: up and under and throws from one foot with a deviation. The mixture is too lethal for any defender.
10. The ability to make opponents break the rules on themselves.
Nowitzki scores a large percentage of his points from free throws, the easiest and highest percentage shots in basketball. The desire of the opponents to play harder with Dirk, the technical equipment and cunning of Dirk turns into the fact that the German punishes opponents from the line over and over again. However, one cannot fail to note Dirk's ability to find contact with defenders, in addition to his tricks with shot displays, look at how he exposes his elbows in passes under the basket or even middle throws. They are in a position that maximizes contact with the defender and provoking a violation of the rules.
How to score 100 points in one game and not become an object of hatred: basketball guide
Complex magazine presented its take on the age-old question - is it really that great to score 100 points in a single game? And why is this achievement one of the most unobvious in the history of sports? Let's figure it out together.
Ever since Wilt Chamberlain's famous performance, the idea of scoring 100 points in a single match has been on the minds of millions of players and basketball fans around the world. Throughout history, only a few have conquered these cherished three figures, and on a professional level, no one has been able to move the statistical Goliath in the person of Chamberlain from the pedestal. The closest was Kobe Bryant. But even he obeyed the mark "only" in 81 points.
On January 16, 2001, the school where Dehuan Wagner studied led 84 points during the meeting. Panthers head coach (Wagner team) Glen Jackson was about to release one of the reservists in the trash. DeJuan himself passed the ball to his mother Lisa Polk after that same 100th point. This accomplishment made him the first high school basketball player to hit that bar in over 20 years. Three and a half minutes remained before the end of the game, and Wagner scored 10 three-pointers. It is clear that in no case did he want to sit down and in every possible way begged the coach to leave him until the final siren.
“He just didn’t want it,” Wagner recalls. - When I scored a hundred, there were still four minutes left, and I tried to persuade him to let me dial 120. But he sat me down. I still tease him about it."
Wagner's critics were quick to point out that his performance had little to do with basketball prowess per se. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that a few hours later, Texas high school student Cedric Hensley broke his record and scored 101 points, bringing his school a crushing victory with a score of 178–28. At the same time, head coach Jerome Tang noted the Texan's statistics as a "great achievement."
“It’s not without reason that it’s been 22 years since the last 100-point performance from a high school league player,” writes ESPN Insider columnist Jeff Goodman. - Most trainers understands that there is no point in stuffing the statistics of a single player when it comes to a one-goal game; when the outcome of the match is predetermined after the break.
However, all the negativity did not bother Wagner himself at all. “Achieving 100 points is definitely an achievement,” he says. “Many cannot boast of this, even throwing the ball into an empty ring.”
Dehuan Wagner
Such a reaction to the achievements of Wagner, Hensley and the like has become commonplace. Therefore, a reasonable question arises: is it worth celebrating the conquest of the seemingly unattainable bar of 100 points or, rather, reproaching yourself for the fact that you just got hold of points due to the opponent’s faded game?
In the entire history of basketball, the number of such performances is small. Only 25 high schoolers, four college players and 25 international players have managed to reach the 100 point mark since 1913 this bar was first submitted to Herman Seiger (113 points). It is logical to assume that all these players will be respected and honored within the basketball community. But over the years, journalists have repeatedly ridiculed and dismissed record holders, preferring to talk about other teams than about holders of memorable records.
On January 26, 1960, Burnsville High forward Danny Heater led his team to a 173–43 victory with a career-high 135 points. Burnsville coach John Stalnaker let him do it. So the player had a chance for a scholarship to study in college. What the reporters didn't like: After the game, Charleston Daily Mail reporter Dan House asked the coach and player: "Is it acceptable to beat up an unfortunate, exhausted school team like this with the intention of earning a scholarship for your main star? That's the rub."
On the chart: statistics of all 100-point performances in the history of basketball
Similar criticism fell upon Epifanny Prince, who at that time played for the Murray Bergtraum school. She scored 113 points in February 2006. After the game, NBA star LeBron James praised Prince: "It's amazing when one person can do this." What not to mention the journalist Adrian Woznarowski. He was not at all impressed with the work of the basketball player and her coach, Ed Grezinski, who allowed the game to get out of hand. For clarification, he turned to Bob Hurley, a youth coach. He said: "Sometimes you have to put yourself in the shoes of the guys on the other side of the court."
Even the great Wilt Chamberlain came under fire when he became the first - and only - player in NBA history to score 100 points in a single game. It happened on March 2, 1962 against the New York Knicks (169–147). Today, that same Chamberlain performance is seen as one of the most impressive performances in history. professional basketball. Philadelphia Warriors center record is unlikely to be broken. Even Kobe Bryant, who came closest with 81 points in a win against Toronto, said it was "unthinkable" to introduce a second player in the NBA with 100 points. But immediately after that great game, there were dissatisfied journalists. They felt that this would be reflected in the fall in the interest of the audience in the NBA. At that time, the league was actively fighting for the audience:
“Basketball doesn’t evolve because normal-sized American youth simply can’t associate with overgrown stars,” Jimmy Powers, editor of the New York Daily News, wrote at the time. “You simply cannot sell tickets to a match with a seven-foot monster, even to the most naive teenager.”
The result of criticism: as early as 1993, Chamberlain realized the magnitude of his 100-point game. “Over time, I feel more and more a part of that match,” he said then. - Everything fell into place, and I finally realized what I had done. People will say to kids, “See that guy? He scored 100 points in one game.” Now I'm really proud of it."
Wilt Chamberlain scored one hundred points, 1962
To be fair, journalists were not the only ones to criticize such achievements. Sometimes the players themselves scolded themselves for scoring 100 points. Danny Boyd scored 104 to lead Camden High to victory over Clarksburg in 1961. After the game, he began to make excuses: “I am ashamed that I scored all these points,” he said. “I didn’t even want to play in the second half.”
The same was true for Lisa Leslie. It has been 25 years since she did what no one before her could do. On February 7, 1990, she scored 101 points in the first half, achieving a crushing victory for her team (102–24). The game has become part of the celebration when the team captain and part-time graduate tries to score as many points as possible in his last home match. Lisa herself admits: she “never” remembers that game. By the way, she has won four Olympic gold medals, two NBA Women's League championships and three season MVP awards in her twelve-year career.
“It wasn't exactly fair,” says Lisa Leslie, now CBS sports host. “Maybe that's why, subconsciously, I've never been particularly proud of it. As a child, I thought: “They should stop me from scoring points. If they can't stop me, then that's not my problem." But was there a need for me to score so often? I don't think".
Despite all the criticism, basketball players are unlikely to give up trying to reach the mark of 100 points in the near future. In the future, there may be even more such games thanks to the so-called "Grinell System". Its creator and main ideologist is the head coach of the tiny Grinnell College, Dave Arsenault. The essence of the program is a huge number of three-point shots, pressure around the entire perimeter of the site, as well as a wide rotation of players. The result is a very fast attack with a high pace, and the main task is to collect the maximum possible number of points. In such a situation, one player initially tries on the role of the main scorer. This translates into his crazy statistics.
Jack Taylor, a key player in such a system, has twice made headlines in the sports press due to his incredible performances in terms of statistics. The first time this happened was on November 20, 2012, when he made 108 shots (including 71 three-point attempts) and chalked up 138 points.
He was able to break the NCAA record that had been held for 59 years. The case received such a response that even NBA superstars like Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant could not pass by. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Anthony could not hide his surprise: “I have never heard of anything like this. It's like a video game. How can one person throw the ball 100 times in a game?
“I was annoyed when people criticized my behavior and said that I was selfish and a bad partner. They just couldn't figure it out - it was a team effort." - Jack Taylor
The media were no less surprised, and some lashed out at Taylor about the fact that he made 100 shots, while not passing a single pass. "It's just a shame," wrote Fox Sports Ohio columnist Zach Jackson. “There was no need to continue these throws ... especially when the outcome of the meeting was already a foregone conclusion, the official secretary needed another sheet for the protocol, and the opponent did not have the strength to stop Taylor from throwing from behind the arc.”
The player chose to focus on the positive reaction from NBA stars. “It annoyed me when people criticized my behavior and said that I was selfish and a bad partner,” he says. - They simply could not understand that it was a team merit. The thing is that even with open throws, they threw the ball at me. I would never have reached 100 points without their support.”
Nearly a year after the landmark game, on November 17, 2013, Taylor repeated his three-figure achievement. This time he chalked up 109points by beating Crowesroads College. Jack again faced a wave of criticism, but he continued to praise his teammates and Grinell University: “Like last year, I could not have done this without my partners. I am extremely grateful to them. It was real team work. I am grateful to the program and the people with whom I had the opportunity to perform.
Jack Taylor
So are all these 100-point games really hurting basketball that much? It all depends on who you ask the question to. If this is material written immediately after such speeches, then obviously yes. As you may have noticed, sports journalists have gotten into the habit of criticizing players and their coaches for allowing this to happen.