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01 July 2009

Larry Bird - A Synonym For Basketball

Image by wallyg via Flickr

By Denise I Smithson

Born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, Larry Joe Bird was raised in the nearby community of French Lick. Even as a youth it was apparent that Bird had an incredible talent of the game of basketball, being the all-time scoring leader at Springs Valley High School. His record in high school won him a basketball scholarship to the University of Indiana.

Larry Bird felt out of place on the large campus and dropped out, taking a year off before returning to college and the game of basketball at Indiana State. Bird led the team to the NCAA championships in 1979 against Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans. Although the Spartans were victorious this time, the team finished with a 33-1 record and cemented Bird's 30.3 points per game average as a college player.

The number one choice of the Boston Celtics in 1979, Bird was paid a record salary of $650,000 per year. Making an average of 21.3 points per game, Bird won the Rookie of the Year award in a season which saw a 61-21 record for the team and Bird gaining a lot of popularity with fans.

The following year, the Celtics relocated to the Robert Parrish Center and took on Kevin McHale. Bird and McHale are considered by many to have been the best frontline in NBA history. In the 1980-1981 season, the Celtics made it to the NBA finals, where they defeated the Houston Rockets six times to take the championship. In the 1980's, the Celtics made it to nearly every NBA final, often facing off against the Lakers.

Bill Fitch, the Celtics' coach nicknamed Bird "Kodak", since as Fitch said: "it's for his ability to picture how a play would unfold. He can turn a play into points.". Bird was also a formidable defensive player and his statistics are truly amazing - his tallies in the 1981-1982 season reached the double digits. The Celtics became even more of a force to be reckoned with in 1983, when guard Dennis Johnson signed on and new coach KC Jones came on board.

The Celtics took the NBA championship in the 1983-1984 season in a seven game series against the Lakers, with an 111-102 score in the final game. In this series, Bird averaged 14 rebounds and 27 points per game, also taking the MVP awards for the series and for the season. Bird also won the MVP award the next season, even after a loss to the Lakers. Bird and Magic Johnson had a friendly rivalry which fans still talk about.

The Celtics returned to finals once again in the 1985-1986 season; they defeated the Houston Rockets in six games and finished with a 76-15 record for the year. Bird again won the series MVP in this, his third NBA championship victory with an average of 24 points per game, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. This year also saw him winning the league MVP award, the third player to do so. Bird's Celtics would also come out on top in the finals the next year, beating the Lakers in six games. Bird, like his rival Magic Johnson was becoming synonymous with the game of basketball.

However, it was his performance in the 1987-1988 season which would make the name Larry Bird a synonym for basketball. This season saw him earning a 29.9 point per game average with a field goal percentage of .527 and a free throw average of .916. Due to surgery for a bone spur, Bird was sidelined in the following season. He returned for the 1989-1990 season, but Bird knew that it would soon be time to retire. This basket ball legend was part of the 1992 US Olympic basketball "Dream Team", along with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Bird holds a career average of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, his 49.6% field goal average and an incredible 88.6% free throw average, a 37.6% three-pointer average and has played in no less than twelve All-Star games. Larry Bird's name is truly legendary and the man is a living synonym for basketball, holding a special place in the hearts of basketball fans everywhere.

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25 May 2009

Sports As A Way Of Development For Kids

Image via Wikipedia

by Anika Woods

No matter how much the adage 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' is used or heard, its truth never gets old. Kids need to develop in a balanced way so that they are able to deal with all the challenges and demands that life will later put on their shoulders.

Learning should be encouraged in a wide a field as possible in this regard and sports provide one of the most versatile and dynamic platforms for this to happen. The misconception that reigns in some places that sports participation in children should be restricted is one that causes a lot damage to the way they grow up.

Sports as a field contains a lot of activities especially for the kids that if applied in the right way will allow kids to learn valuable lessons about life. It is not uncommon for kids to extend the discipline, creativity, hard work and team building skills attained in engaging in sports activities to other areas of their lives such as school work.

The thing is, sports especially at children's level is carried out in a simple way in a friendly and healthy environment that allows kids to let themselves go and come out of their small cocoons to discover what lies in the outside world.

The simplicity of sports does not, however, compromise its ability to provide the necessary learning and development necessary for balanced growth. It is indeed this same simplicity that causes the lessons learnt to stick into the kids psyches to be used later on in life. How important therefore that the lessons adopted through sports be positive ones rather than negative ones. The ball is now therefore firmly set in the courts of parents, teachers and guardians of children to recognize the awesome potential of sports in developing children to be upstanding members of the world community.

Through sports kids learn to share with others, the power of team work and positive competition can be fostered in the muddy soccer and hockey fields that the classroom can only fantasize about. Through competitive games and sports kids can learn what it takes to win and how to deal with unexpected outcomes in life. The beauty of sports is that through its many intense activity, interaction among kids themselves and also with adults is essential.

Kids can learn how to express themselves and respect authority, traits that can be hard to develop in adults. Starting them on such at a young age will reap fruits that will be the pride of all.

Sports activities come in many forms. Mainstream sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey and tennis to name but five are used to instill the traits described above. With creativity, learning activities can be converted into fun sporting activities. Music and art and crafts are among the best candidates for this. It's high time the true potential of sports be tapped. Take a cue from Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters.

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02 May 2009

Be a better basketball player and learn to jump higher

Image by MomBoutNsane via Flickr

by Lynn Lopez

In sports, being stronger and doing things faster and higher are always good things that could most certainly secure a victory for you. After all, how many sports victories were won by the slowest, least capable participant? Basketball is one particular sport that requires a number of skills, but one of the skills that will give you an advantage over the other players is if you can jump higher than any of them. Remember how "His Airness" Michael Jordan would sail through the air and make a winning shot? Jumping higher in basketball guarantees that you can sink a basket that many other players would probably find impossible to do and maybe even win you the game.

Unfortunately, coaches don't exactly teach you how to jump higher in basketball, which is why you should undertake some additional exercises to train yourself to jump higher. Jumping requires the use of your leg muscles, so increasing their strength and agility is your priority. When you teach yourself how to jump higher in basketball, always ensure that you don't overdo it or you might risk getting an injury. Always start with the proper warmups exercises to condition your muscles for the entire set of workouts for your legs.

Some exercises can help tone you up and make you jump higher. Doing a series of squats can help strengthen your legs and help make sure that you can carry your body weight in your legs when you push yourself down and propel your body upward when you jump. Jumping exercises are a staple of any basketball training session; all you need to do is to crouch or squat down then launch yourself into a vertical jump. Various jumping rope exercises can also increase your legs' muscle power, as these can develop your calf muscles.

There is also a set of exercises called plyometrics that you can do. Plyometrics involves movements performed in a rapid sequence to ensure that the muscles of the body lengthen and contract as quickly as possible; one of the main goals of plyometrics is to enable a person to jump higher. Keep in mind, however, that plyometrics is best performed by athletes in good physical condition while under supervision.

These are just some of the exercises you can do in order to jump higher in basketball--or in any sport, for that matter. Remember to pace yourself when doing the exercises and don't expect to see results in a flash. Try to ask your coach or trainer to develop a training program that can improve your leg muscle strength and help you jump higher.

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Learn to improve your vertical jumping and improve your health, sport skill and tone your muscles. One of the workouts that are most over looked are the ones that teach you to improve your jump. Discover today how to improve your vertical jumps

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