Basketball:

Drills and Plays

By Jodin Dauphinee

Basketball is a very famous game played many many various people. Lots are so good that they moved on to professional basketball, or the NBA. This may help you get there too!

Drill #1: Dribbling

     Some NBA players are able to bounce, or dribble, the ball between their legs. You, however might want to start by dribbling the ball in front of your feet. Maybe then try to dribble with your left hand (if you are right handed).

Drill #2: Shooting

    There are a few different types of shooting. There is dunking, 3 pointers, foul shots, and quite a few more. But as you go through the next few pages, you will learn the most important types.

Shooting: Category 1 - DUNK

    The dunk shot, or slam dunk, is one of the hardest shots to master in basketball other than the 3 pointer. Players jump as high as they can toward the hoop, then let the ball fall in as they fall. Some players can hang of the hoop! If you watch the Celtics, you have seen Tatum do it

Shooting: Category 2 - Foul Shot

    Foul shots are only taken when a foul is committed, which is when players shove another player or slap an arm away from the ball to get at it. Usually there are two foul shots, but there are sometimes three.

Shooting: Category 3 - Three Pointers

    Three pointers are probably the hardest shot to make. People are all in the ring, but you are outside it. Then someone is grabbing at the ball, and you have to shoot it fast. 

    The three point shot, or three pointer, is worth the most points because it's so hard to make. It requires the most amount of arm strength.

Shooting Category 4: Downtown Shots

    Downtown shots are worth three points, but you have to get it from half court to have made a downtown shot.

    Downtown shots are even harder to make then three pointers! It requires a LOT more arm strength to make those. Steph Curry (see pages 14 - 15) is pretty good at making those.

Drill #3: Driving

    "Driving" the ball is just dribbling the ball while running to the hoop before you shoot it. Your defender may try to steal the ball, so try to dribble with BOTH hands.

Drill #4: Layup Shot

    I know, I just finished the shooting drills, but...

    The Layup shot is when someone drives the ball up to the hoop and jumps to put the ball in the hoop. Not quite a dunk, but it is good enough for someone who doesn't have the leg strength for a dunk. 

    Like me.

THE GREATS

STEPHEN  CURRY

    Stephen Curry, or Steph Curry for short, was born in the same hospital as LeBron James (see next page). He is famous for his buzzer-beater 3 pointers, and for his knack at making downtown shots. Steph has the fastest jumpshot ever by recorded Sports Science.

LEBRON JAMES

    LeBron James is a very popular player - even when I wasn't into basketball, I knew about him! He was the youngest drafted NBA player as the number-one pick in 2003.

Bird and Magic - Rival Buddies

    Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were rivals at first, but they were on the same college basketball team! By the time they were in the NBA, they had become rivals.

    But one time, after the Lakers beat the Celtics, Magic saw how sad Larry looked and after a little while they became rival buddies.