By: Sean Puyot
Basketball—the sport everybody loves to play if not watch all day. I mean, PBA, the most popular basketball league in the Philippines, is everywhere, from television screens to Facebook posts. But why is that? What’s its charm?
Basketball involves a lot of contact, and is a very tedious sport to play because of the high risk of injury.
A good amount of stamina, IQ, speed, agility, and strength is needed to play such a demanding sport. However, it is very fun to play, and is a very intense sport for those who are looking for a cardiovascular and fat-burning workout. Now, on to the basics.
Basketball is a game of invasion consisting of one to five members per side on the court. There are two teams in possession: the offensive and the defensive team. The offensive team shoots the ball in the hoop to score points. Shots scored outside the arc are worth three points, shots scored inside are worth two points, and free throws are worth one point. There are many things you can do in the offensive position, like passing, shooting, rebounding, and driving. Offense usually requires cooperation, speed, and strength.
Teamwork makes the dream work
On the other hand, the defensive team prevents the offensive team from shooting. Unlike the offensive team, you have very limited options such as stealing, blocking, and rebounding. Also, you are more likely to commit fouls. Too many fouls give the offensive team at least one chance at the free throw line, depending on the shot and kind of foul. Playing in defense usually requires a quick response for stealing, a high vertical jump for blocking shots and some passes, and a knack for extreme caution to prevent fouls. Add all this up and you get the bare minimum of what it takes to play the sport.
Basketball is hard, but fun and ultimately rewarding.
Sure, basketball may be hard, but it also applies to life. Basketball is a team-centered game, and even if some are more skilled than others, that doesn’t necessarily mean they can play alone. In basketball, the “one-man-army" mentality is a laughable concept because basketball relies on teamwork. Basketball may be a sport but everything has a purpose—it doesn’t only make us better players, but better individuals as well.
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