SWENSDAY STUFF

Basketball for Dummies
Swen Nater

My apologies. After writing blog postings (like this one), I have been receiving comments that indicate people don’t understand what I’m talking about, particularly when I use basketball terminology. Therefore, it has become increasingly apparent to me, there are many people who don’t understand basketball. They “get” that the team that scores the most points wins the game but they’re not aware of the rules, equipment, court size, game duration, the basics of scoring and defense and how to win. So here is “Basketball for Dummies.”

Court Size and Other Dimensions
Professional and College courts have the same dimensions, 94’ X 50’. High school courts are ten feet shorter. Middle school and elementary school courts are even smaller than that.

The edge of the free throw line (where the shooter is) is 15 feet from the edge of the backboard, not the rim. (Some experienced dummies didn’t know that.)

For high school and college, the Key (the triangular area near the basket, contained by the freethrow line, the baseline, and the freethrow lanes) is 12 feet wide. For NBA, it’s longer (because Wilt Chamberlain used to dunk from the low post so they had to move him out a little more to make it fair).

Equipment
The only required equipment is: Two baskets and One basketball, although the necessity of uniforms is unwritten and implied.

Game Duration
In the NBA, a game is 48 minutes long (not counting overtime), divided into four-12 minute quarters. A college game is 40 minutes long, divided into two-20 minute halves.
High school games are 32 minutes long, divided into four-8 minute quarters. (I have never understood that; those young kids can run a lot longer than the old guys. Whatever.)

Scoring
The team that scores the most points when the time runs out is declared the winner. So, the point is, to score more points than the other team. That is done two ways; getting high percentage shots (getting talented players that can make those shots doesn’t hurt), and making it difficult for the opponent to get high percentage shots without fouling them too much.

Rules and Refs
There are more rules than I can list and the refs are there to enforce them to make the game clean, fair, and enjoyable for the fans. Which leads me to this.

Influencing Things a Little
Through the years, some coaches have found ways to influence the score to their favor with extremely creative tactics, all within the rules, mind you. Red Auerbach, former coach and general manager of the Boston Celtics, didn’t pay off the refs but he did other things to help his team win. (Are there any Celtics fans reading this? If so, I should have dumbed this posting down to a third-grade level. Don’t get mad. Just kidding.) When I was with the Lakers, we played the finals against the Celtics. It went to seven games and that last game was in Boston.

The night before the game, the fire alarm in the Marriott went off seven times and, each time, everyone had to get outside. We didn’t get much sleep that night. Wonder who set off the alarms? I remember smelling cigar smoke in the Marriott hallway. When we arrived at the Boston Garden, we found the locker room to be over 100 degrees. I smelled cigar smoke by the thermostat. We lost the game.

Conclusion
So that’s Basketball for Dummies. Now you know the game. There are court dimensions, equipment, time, and rules. The goal is to win the game. The refs are there to make things as fair as possible. But, if a coach thinks the other team is better, there are things he or she can do to influence things a little—within the rules, of course.