Basketball is the third most popular sport in the world, with an estimated following of 2.2 Billion people (source). It is the most popular sport in the United States with a massive following in Canada, China, and the Philippines.
Is Basketball Easy?
Learning and playing basketball is easy, it doesn’t have tough rules like Rugby/Football and requires little investment from your pocket to be able to enjoy this game. There is a learning curve involved, but it is not very steep, and pretty much everyone out there can grasp and play this great sport.
Are basketball rules easy?
No! The rules are very easy to learn and won’t stop you from watching and playing the game. I will explain them to you as thoroughly as possible.
Basketball is played between two teams, and at one time, each team must have 5 players playing on the court while substitute players are sitting on the bench.
There is offence in basketball; it is the period when a team has the ball and are attacking the opposition hoop to score points. The result of a successful offence is the “basket”.
Basket means the ball ending in the net and you are awarded points.
There is a line in basketball, commonly known as the three-point line. If you make a basket within that line, you are awarded two points, but if you make a basket outside this line, then you are awarded three points.
A basketball match is 48 minutes long, and the segmentation of this time depends on the association. The NBA prefers to divide this time into 4 quarters of 12 minutes each while the NCAA divides it into two halves.
As you can see, there are five basic rules for you to start playing or watching basketball as a newbie. As your interest grows in basketball, you can learn about the penalty and foul rules, which are easily accessible on the internet and can be understood in an instant.
What is the easy way to learn to play Basketball?
Basketball is an evergreen sport and a perfect game for all age brackets. You need to make sure you keep the ball to yourself and should develop an instinct to pass the ball to your teammates at an appropriate time.
Basketball can develop your stamina, and for that, you need to play this sport on a regular basis. By running on the court and doing the tricks and building coordination with your teammates, you can be on your way to become an outstanding player.
Is basketball easier than other sports?
Basketball is relatively easier to play than many popular sports out there. Let’s compare it to some of the best sports in the world.
Is basketball easier than Soccer?
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Just like basketball, soccer is an all-weather sport, and the aim of both is to score in opposition’s net, but the difficulty of soccer is more than basketball. The chief reason is that soccer is played with the feet, and basketball is played with the hands.
The coordination of hands and the brain is naturally more developed and it is easier thus to pick a basketball and start making precise decisions while handling the ball but with football, it takes a lot of practice to develop the coordination of feet, and the brain and the precision with your passes to your teammates is not as good as in basketball.
Is basketball easier than Football?
This is no doubt one of the best sports in the world and the most-watched sport in the USA but playing it is not as simple. The main reasons for it are three, specialized equipment, hard to learn rules and risk of injuries. Contrasting to all this, picking up a basketball, a pair of shoes and finding a hoop in the neighbourhood is much easier.
The explosive nature of basketball is another reason it is easier to play and watch in comparison to football, which is halted due because of strict rules on fouls now and then. Football is mainly the sport of the USA and doesn’t enjoy the same popularity outside the USA, which means playing it in a foreign land will not be easy, and those strict rules are very hard to explain to people.
Basketball is popular in many countries around the globe, and as a foreigner, you can play it very easily in many parts of America and Europe.
Is basketball easier than Baseball?
It is the second most-watched sport in the USA, and basketball is just behind it. Baseball, like soccer and football, is not easy to play in comparison to basketball. An average basketball game will only need 48 minutes to play, and about 2.5 hours to watch on TV but the average baseball game lasts 3.5 hours.
On the other hand, baseball needs every player to have their equipment, e.g. baseball bats while one basketball is enough to cater to the needs of the players playing basketball.
In what weather is basketball easier to play?
Basketball can be played in all weather conditions. Unlike some other sports that need specific weather conditions, basketball doesn’t have such demands.
Though the best weather to play basketball is the winters and there is a historical reason for this (source). The founder of basketball, James Naismith was given a task to find a sport for his students to play in winters as the cold outside was unbearable for students to play football or baseball and he came up with the idea of an indoor sport, basketball.
Playing basketball doesn’t necessarily need you to be outside, and thus your limbs are not frozen playing this sport in winter. But all of this doesn’t mean it is an indoor sport only.
An indoor court is not necessary to start playing Basketball. It can be played in the backyards, streets, and indoor courts. The beginning of many NBA stars had started from the streets.
There are many famous outdoor courts in the world. One of them is very close to my heart. The Rucker Park court in Harlem. This is where my favourite basketball athlete of all time, Kobe Bryant used to play.
This was started to keep the less fortunate kids from the streets and add some happiness and hope in their life. It hosts a plethora of tournaments and gathers donations for the less privileged people.
Is basketball easy on your pocket?
Basketball equipment is very affordable. You don’t need much to be able to enjoy this game. All it requires is a hoop and a basketball to start playing in your backyard and if you decide to go to the courts then invest in a pair of basketball shoes.
A good quality basketball can cost you only $30 (source), but it will not be the authentic basketball. The authentic NBA basketball costs you about $169.99 (source). But you don’t need to splash the extra $139.99 to be able to start playing the game.
The replica balls will just do fine to get into the game, then with time you can spend more to get the feeling of a premium leather ball that cost only $169.99 which is very generous in comparison to the expensive equipment of other sports, like cricket; which is the second most popular sport in the world, whose original bats costed in excess of $600 way back in 2006 when I played that sport.
Basketball shoes are considered expensive, but this is a misconception. Yes!
The signature shoes of famous basketball athletes are costly, and there are some rare and few gimmicky shoes that will cost you in excess of $200, but for $75 (source) you can get a very good pair to start your basketball journey.
Under $150 there are many unique options now, in comparison to the past. This misconception should vanish now.
What are the best basketball shoes for me?
The best basketball shoes for you depends on your body type and the type of player you are. The more thin and agile players are recommended low cut shoes as they make them feel the court and adds to the explosive nature of their game and give them good bounce.
The more heavy players need adequate support in their shoes, and mostly high top shoes are recommended for them with excellent cushioning. Impact protection is critical for the health of their ankle bones, which sustain a lot of force when bulky players come down from a jump.
Conclusion:
We can see that basketball is one of the most straightforward game to play in. Many players playing the game came from humble beginnings, as the game only requires a pair of shoes and a basketball to play.
At the same time, there are other sports which require special equipment for each individual with very complicated rules which is the case in football.
Sports are played with passion and love, and this sport is n different. Grab a pair of shoes, invest in a ball or go out there in the streets and use the ball of a buddy or a neighbor, and just start playing the game.
