How Is Basketball Embedded In American Culture

802 Words4 Pages

Sam Lewis
Fox
Eng101 (843)
February 7, 2023
Basketball
The game of basketball has become embedded in American culture. “It is the only major sport strictly of U.S. origin, invented by James Naismith in 1891” (Britannica). Since its invention in the 1890s, it has developed into not only part of the American culture but has expanded worldwide. Many people see basketball as just a game, but it is so much more than a game. It is one of the most loved sports and with good reason. Basketball is exciting, it brings people together and creates community. Camaraderie is built from playing on a team. Inevitably there are wins and losses that create ups and downs and teach a variety of life lessons. Basketball teaches valuable lessons, such as teamwork, …show more content…

A basketball team consists of five players who play together on the court at all times. Players learn teamwork from practices together. If all five of the players are not on the same page or one player makes a mistake as a team, his teammates must adjust. For example, when a team is playing defense and one player goes to trap the ball, it is important for teammates to rotate together to cut off the other pass options. On offense, all teammates work together to get an open shot by set plays and if one person makes a mistake, then the player will not find an open shot, or it could lead to a turnover. Also, communication plays a significant role in teamwork. In basketball, players have to be vocal to be a good team because on defense there is a lot of rotating and helping cover each other’s man. In order to rotate correctly you have to talk to teammates and make sure all players are working together to cut off any open offensive players. Without doing this your team will fail because the opposing team will have a lot of open shots. If a team relies solely on the strengths of one player, it will not succeed in the long term. Being a successful team means each member has to be unselfish and blend their strengths and work together to build trust. Just as in life, no one succeeds alone. In life, people who work and cooperate with others are far more likely to succeed than those who do not. Not only can you learn teamwork from basketball but also it teaches a lot of