Bob Schaller - The Everything Kids Basketball Book: The all-time greats, legendary teams, todays superstars - and tips on playing like a pro

EVERYTHING KIDS'

Basketball Book

The all-time greats, legendary teams,
todays superstarsand tips on playing like a pro

Bob Schaller
with Coach Dave Harnish

PUBLISHER Karen Cooper

DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier

MANAGING EDITOR,EVERYTHINGSERIES Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katrina Schroeder

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan

ASSOCIATE DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Elizabeth Kassab

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson

EVERYTHINGSERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander

LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace

Copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews and photocopies made for classroom use.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN-10: 1-60550-165-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-60550-165-9
eISBN: 978-1-44050-177-7

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

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Interior illustrations by Kurt Dolber.
Puzzles by Beth L. Blair.

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Contents

Playingthe Game

Basketball: The Basics

B asketball can seem like a very complex game. Maybe youve seen a coach draw a squiggly diagram to show what he wants to do. If youve watched the game on TV, youve probably noticed that the commentators draw lines on the screen during a game to show what happened. How do all of these people know exactly whats going on? Simple! At its core, basketball isnt that hard. Its about hustling on defense and offense, paying attention, taking good shots, and making good passes. If you can do all of those things, youre well on your way to becoming a good basketball player. To be the best you can be, youll need to focus on fundamentals and practice proper technique.

The goal in playing the game is even simpler: Score more points than your opponent. Some people say the goal is to make more baskets than your opponents, but since some baskets are worth three points and others are worth twoand free throws are worth only onethats not always the case.

Basketball is played on a court with a basketball hoop at each end. There are five players for each team on the court at a time. Unlike sports like football, players need to be able to play both offense and defense. They need to be able to make baskets to give their team points, but they also need to be able to stop the other team from making baskets at the other end of the court. To be a good offensive player, youll need to know how to dribble, pass, rebound, and shoot. On defense, youll need to know how to rebound, steal, and play all-around good defense, which means never getting lazy.

Basketball is a fun sport because even if you miss the first time you go out and shoot, by the end of an hour or two youll be making shots fairly often if you pay attention to your form. You can also get pretty good at dribbling in a hurry. Basketball is a sport that many people play because its easy to learn and there are usually basketball hoops in parks, schools, gyms, and even driveways.

WORDS TO KNOW

Hustle

The term hustle means try harder, never give up. When coaches yell for their players to hustle during practices and games, they are telling their players to keep working hard and not slack off.

Rebound

Getting the ball after it hits the rim on an unsuccessful shot on either the defensive or offensive end.

Assist

A pass that sets up a successful basket. The player who made that pass is credited with an assist. Usually, the point guard will be the team leader in assists.

Steal

When you take the ball from the other team, it is recorded for statistical purposes as a steal. You can intercept a pass or actually take it from a player who is dribbling carelessly or out of control. Racking up a lot of steals shows you are a good defender.

Basketballs vary in size. College and professional players use larger balls than kids. The womens basketball is slightly smaller than the one the men play with. You can usually get a good basketball at your favorite local discount store. If you are using it outside, make sure you get one made out of a synthetic or rubber-like cover rather than the leather ball used for indoor courts; these balls are more durable than the ones you use indoors. Once you have some athletic shoes and a ball, you are ready to get started.

FUN FACTS

Basketball was embraced as a U.S. high school sport in the early 1900s for one reason: It didnt cost much to provide equipment and space to play. Student athletes needed only tennis shoes, T-shirts, and shorts, and schools installed backboards, hoops, and painted lines on playgrounds and in high school gymnasiums.

Players by Position

T here are five players on the court at any given time for each team. Here are the players and their roles, and this is for any level, from amateur through college and professional.

Point Guard

Called the one spot, the point guard is usually the smallest and/or quickest player on the team. He also acts as the coach on the floor and the quarterback of the team, getting his teammates organized and deciding what to do with the ball. He must be an excellent ball handler and passer who plays with bounce and enthusiasm. Good point guards are usually tough and strong players who love to practice. More often than not, they are confident, competitive, poised, and fearless.

Point guards can be counted on to understand the coachs system and know that games are won on the inside, around the basket. They also realize that scoring is not their top priority. The point guard plays in front of his teammates on both ends of the floor. He is the take-charge person who encourages teammates and gets them to respond. He has great court vision and freely gives up the ball to the first open teammate. A point guard must be able to lead the team in assists each season and be able to come through in the clutch by handling the ball in the final moments of a close game. He must be able to make high-pressure free throws if he is fouled in the closing minutes of a tough game. Point guards are rarely the leading scorers on the team since they have other responsibilities, but they should average 1012 points and at least five assists per game.