Does Basketball take skill and athletisicm compared to other popular sports?

There's no danger in basketball.

Now, moutain-biking. That's a sport.

 

you better toss running into that category.

that's a REAL sport.

 

Mountain-biking is a dangerous activity. It's not a sport.

I think hockey takes the most skill and athleticism.

 

The finesse part (shooting) is similar to golf. The physical nature is very similar to hockey and soccer in terms of endurance and the need for bursts of speed. Where basketball really shines is in that one player can change the game if they have extraordinary court vision and passing skills - see Stockton, Kidd, Magic.

 

Time for mud-slinging! I know I'll take some shots here too, but running is not a sport in terms of skill and athleticism like the sports he mentioned. Running is simply the application of fairly straight-forward technique and either endurance or power.

Oh, and mountain biking IS a sport - but you gotta be nuts to do it. =)

 

how on earth is biking a sport, yet running is not? what extra skill does it take to cycle, that it doesn't take to run. your takes don't seem consistent to me!

and running IS a sport. try going out and running 10-15 miles everday, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, like me and than try to tell me its not a sport.

 

OK, let me clarify. Mountain biking (and running for that matter) is a sport if you're racing other people. However, if you're like Kagy and just go out and get hurt, then it's not a sport.

 

drapg, just because something is physical doesn't mean it's a sport. It takes physical training to eat a bunch of hot dogs, but you don't think that's a sport do you?

 

LMAO!!!!!! That is funny.

 

maybe i misinterpreted this thread, if so i apologize.

i thought we were going to discuss the athleticism it takes to participate in the sports mentioned when this thread was opened, and i just wanted to throw running into the mix of the discussion, since cycling was added too.

if you're going to discuss the sport itself, rather than the athleticism it takes to participate, than I was wrong. again, sorry.

 

I simply don't think that running and biking for enjoyment or exercise constitues a sport. Now, if you're doing these things against other people, it's a sport.

 

I have a new signature.

 

From dictionary.com
sport Pronunciation Key (spôrt, sprt)
n.


1.Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. A particular form of this activity.
3.An active pastime; recreation.
4.One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.
Informal. One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.
Informal. A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.

By definition, it would appear that both mountain biking and running pass as sport. My personal opinion is that there should be an element of competition for it to be a sport.

To the subject at hand....
I think basketball is fairly high up the skill and athleticism food chain compared to other sports. It requires durability, finesse, touch , some strength, timing, jumping, hand eye coordination and don't forget height... It is most definitely requires multiple skill sets to be a good player.

Running, on the other hand, while not a single dimension sport (bear in mind I am an avid runner) requires signigicantly fewer skill sets that hoops.

You will scream bias, but I believe Australian Rules Football is up there with the sports needing the most skillsets. It requires strength, agility, speed, hand eye coordination, touch & finesse, courage and endurance to be good footy player. A good midfielder or follower will run the distance of a marathon during a game, all the while collecting possessions, tackling etc.

Soccer required speed, finesse and footwork, but has much fewer dimensions to it than Aussie Rules or Basketball.

 

BIAS!!!!!!!!!

 

Since skill and athleticism are two completely different things, I'll take seven of the world's most popular sports and rank them based on the amount of skill and athleticism required to be succesful at each one.

Skill:
1. Golf
2. Hockey
3. Tennis
4. Soccer
5. Baseball
6. Basketball
7. Football

Athleticism
1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Tennis
4. Soccer
5. Hockey
6. Baseball
7. Golf

When you combine the two...
1. Hockey, Tennis
3. Basketball, Football, Soccer, Golf
7. Baseball

Hockey and Tennis are the hardest to succeed at, with basketball on the same level as football, soccer, golf, and with baseball bringing up the rear. And there you have it!

 

I would rank them:

Skill
1. Golf(Skills that develop very slowly)
2. Tennis(Skills that develop relatively quickly)
3. Hockey(I've skated, but never played hockey, but I would imagine it would be hard to skate so fast, and still manage to shoot/defend/etc...)
4. Basketball
5. Soccer
6. Baseball
7. Football

Athleticism
1. Basketball
2. Football
3. Soccer
4. Tennis
5. Hockey
6. Baseball
7. Golf

Most Physically challenging
1. Soccer
2. Football(I say that soccer is more physically challenging because there is little rest involved in soccer, especially for mid-fielders)
3. Basketball
4. Tennis
5. Hockey
6. Baseball
7. Golf

However, I don't think that these difficulty(or any) rankings really mean anything. Baseball, despite being quite low in every category is still a challenging sport. Golf, althought it is at the bottom in two of three categories, is the hardest sport that I've ever played. Never have I been more frustrated playing sports than out on the course.

 

Nobody likes swimming?

Granted it doesn't have a league or anything...

EDIT:

Just read the thread title a little closer, I blame senility (and DoD).

I believe it takes athleticism to excel at all the "popular" sports. However, mediocre athletes can fare better at baseball and golf than the other sports if they have sharp hand-eye coordination, which doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with athletic training.

You have to be a good athlete to play sports well, whether it's football or soccer or baseball. They all require a level of athletic ability - it's just that the skill sets used vary from sport to sport.

 

There's no sport that requires more skill, athleticism, and intelligence than baseball.

 

My friends, we are comparing apples and oranges here. The skills and athleticism needed for each sport are different. It's like asking what's a better vehicle, a SUV or a sports car. They're both good for what they do, but the SUV could not compete in the sport car's environment and vice versa.


> Does Basketball take skill and athletisicm? Yes

>Compared to other popular sports? You can't compare them.