AHC: Have Basketball dominate the sports world

I think this challenge, SYCTA, is more doable than the US Football/gridiron one.

This challenge is met if Basketball reaches or exceeds the marketing, sponsoring, and excellence levels within Europe (and/or South America) which OTL are reached by soccer.

E.g. if the stars of the FIBA World Cup (I found out e.g. about Luis Scola) are as known as a Lionel Messi and Neymar, if Turkey 2010 is at least as known as South Africa 2010, if we on AH.com do an AHBA World Cup, and so on. Just if Basketball is as popular and as well-played and -funded as soccer. Just as in soccer, though, there can be teams or areas that suck at it (and maybe excel in soccer and the rarely noticed soccer world cups?).

You mean it doesn't?

PandaRosa said:

You mean it doesn't?

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Nope. Go figure...

Basketball is certainly currently popular on a wide scale and has been for quite a few years. It's growth seems to be on an accelerating rate as well. Major amateur and professional leagues on most continents. Many of the current and historic best players in the NBA are from multiple countries.

Maybe one POD for accelerating the popularity earlier, would be post WW2. Use basketball as a programmed recreational part of reconstruction of parts of Europe or Asia. You can set up a hoop pretty much anywhere, and it is sufficient for recreation and skills development.

Well, we can retain a 'no-dribbling' rule instead of it being a loophole for passing to yourself. This way, poor kids wouldn't need an inflated ball to play the game, and thus removing the biggest barrier to playing basketball.

PoorBoy said:

Well, we can retain a 'no-dribbling' rule instead of it being a loophole for passing to yourself. This way, poor kids wouldn't need an inflated ball to play the game, and thus removing the biggest barrier to playing basketball.

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There are now and historically have been large scale leagues where dribbling was not allowed. The ball is advanced soley by passing, or shooting. In some cases, I believe this was done to limit contact, in other cases for the limitations of equipment and court.

Make Basket Ball much more popular in the US in the 1930s. When American Troops go during WW2, they spread Basket Ball with them.

Moroco, Alegia, Tunis, England, Itlay, France, Holland, Beluigum, Germany, Iran, Japan, China are all places US troops went to.

One of the reasons Soccar is popular around the world is because its a poor man's sport. All you need is a ball (or rock) and you can just kick it around.

Look at Baseball, and all the equiment you need. And a Speacial field. Most people/schools in the world just can't do.

But what I don't understand is why Soccar is a middle class sport here in America. Any ideas?

Isn't the smart-aleck remark something like: Soccer is a gentleman's game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen?

Basketball has historically had cross-cultural popularity.

U.S David said:

One of the reasons Soccar is popular around the world is because its a poor man's sport. All you need is a ball (or rock) and you can just kick it around.

Look at Baseball, and all the equiment you need. And a Speacial field. Most people/schools in the world just can't do.

But what I don't understand is why Soccar is a middle class sport here in America. Any ideas?

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The poor kids played baseball, then the other kind of football instead. Also lack of a professional league for many years.

Baseball is the poor kids sport in much of the Carribean. The equipment isn't that specialized.

Basketball requires physical size, which limits its popularity in many parts of the world.

"Well, we can retain a 'no-dribbling' rule instead of it being a loophole for passing to yourself. This way, poor kids wouldn't need an inflated ball to play the game, and thus removing the biggest barrier to playing basketball."

So, like netball or korfball?

"But what I don't understand is why Soccar is a middle class sport here in America. Any ideas?"

Soccer is a middle class sport around the world, it's safer than gridiron (possibly the main factor), cheaper (as you commented on), faster (well, fairly continuous play as opposed to the constant breaks) and a lot more interesting to watch.

Basketball is popular internationally (it's probably the 2nd most popular teamsport around the world) but to make it the world's most popular sport you'll need to bring in changes pre1960s (??) before soccer entrenches itself. These days it is difficult to change the main sports of whole countries. A lot of sports are trying to increase their global market share, it's a highly competitive business but none of them has challenged football (soccer) on the global stage.

PoorBoy said:

Well, we can retain a 'no-dribbling' rule instead of it being a loophole for passing to yourself. This way, poor kids wouldn't need an inflated ball to play the game, and thus removing the biggest barrier to playing basketball.

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That would kill basketball in the long run. It would eliminate many of the most exciting elements of the game (a player skillfully dribbling through defenders to the basket or then passing to an open shooter, for example). I fail to see how the need for an inflated ball inhibits the ability of "poor kids" to play the game. Poor kids around the world play soccer and it uses an inflated ball. Poor kids throughout the US seem to find a way to get their hands on a basketball and play under a makeshift goal.

The one thing that does limit the spread of professional basketball is the height players usually have to be to play it effectively, and the fact that relatively few people get that big. This dilutes the talent pool creating a real limit on how far the major professional leagues can expand and still produce a good product. Contrast this with soccer, baseball, or rugby, which are played by people at relatively normal heights and weights. Perhaps if the basket was placed a couple of feet higher and the "paint" widened, this might reduce the emphasis on height, since no players would be able to dunk the ball or in other ways dominate the rim. All shots would be jump shots, and (as in the current game) smaller players often are better at running to and catching long rebounds from missed jump shots than really tall ones.

Other than player salaries, basketball may be the cheapest team sport to put on. Teams are small, equipment needs are minimal, and the game can be played effectively both outside and in thousands of gyms and arenas. In its current form (certainly faster and more physical than its inventor probably intended) Basketball combines some of the best elements of soccer, hockey, and even rugby on a small court that creates constant action and lots of scoring. Basic rules are simple yet the game strategy can be complex.

PoorBoy said:

Well, we can retain a 'no-dribbling' rule instead of it being a loophole for passing to yourself. This way, poor kids wouldn't need an inflated ball to play the game, and thus removing the biggest barrier to playing basketball.

Click to expand...

That would kill basketball in the long run. It would eliminate many of the most exciting elements of the game (a player skillfully dribbling through defenders to the basket or then passing to an open shooter, for example). I fail to see how the need for an inflated ball inhibits the ability of "poor kids" to play the game. Poor kids around the world play soccer and it uses an inflated ball. Poor kids throughout the US seem to find a way to get their hands on a basketball and play under a makeshift goal.

The one thing that does limit the spread of professional basketball is the height players usually have to be to play it effectively, and the fact that relatively few people get that big. This dilutes the talent pool creating a real limit on how far the major professional leagues can expand and still produce a good product. Contrast this with soccer, baseball, or rugby, which are played by people at relatively normal heights and weights. Perhaps if the basket was placed a couple of feet higher and the "paint" widened, this might reduce the emphasis on height, since no players would be able to dunk the ball or in other ways dominate the rim. All shots would be jump shots, and (as in the current game) smaller players often are better at running to and catching long rebounds from missed jump shots than really tall ones.

Other than player salaries, basketball may be the cheapest team sport to put on. Teams are small, equipment needs are minimal, and the game can be played effectively both outside and in thousands of gyms and arenas. In its current rather physical form it combines some of the best elements of soccer, hockey, and even rugby on a small court that creates constant action and lots of scoring. Basic rules are simple yet the game strategy can be complex.

I'm sure I can think of something.

zoomar said:

The one thing that does limit the spread of professional basketball is the height players usually have to be to play it effectively, and the fact that relatively few people get that big. This dilutes the talent pool creating a real limit on how far the major professional leagues can expand and still produce a good product. Contrast this with soccer, baseball, or rugby, which are played by people at relatively normal heights and weights. Perhaps if the basket was placed a couple of feet higher and the "paint" widened, this might reduce the emphasis on height, since no players would be able to dunk the ball or in other ways dominate the rim. All shots would be jump shots, and (as in the current game) smaller players often are better at running to and catching long rebounds from missed jump shots than really tall ones.

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Having given this a few minutes more thought, perhaps lowering the basket, setting it horizontal or at and angle, and making it wider might have the same effect. All players, regardless of size could then be effective shooters, rebounders, and defenders. But then you sort of end up with European team handball. Nope. Its the high basket that makes basketball different.

A HUGE problem with Basket Ball is you need to be tall. The avenge American is bigger then the most people around the world.

My Grandmother was born overseas, and she said the reason Americans are much taller and bigger is because we drink milk. Its funny how when ever I go to my mosque, and I see a lot of boys who were born in the Middle East, I am much taller, even if I am younger. I'm avenge height by the way.


You would have to change the game here, make the hoop shorter for the rest of the world.

Or higher, that it is unreachable even to Americans and everybody must jump. Then, normal-sized people are on "equal footing" again, or?

PiratePartyist said:

Or higher, that it is unreachable even to Americans and everybody must jump. Then, normal-sized people are on "equal footing" again, or?

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That was my first suggestion. Or make it so low that that even the shortest people can reach the basket. I think a very high basket (maybe at 20 feet) would do the trick best. All shots would be jumpers. Rebounds could go anywhere. The only advantage a freakishly tall 7 foot tall player would have is blocking shots and passing to other tall players, but the smaller and more mobile players could avoid them.

U.S David said:

A HUGE problem with Basket Ball is you need to be tall. The avenge American is bigger then the most people around the world.

My Grandmother was born overseas, and she said the reason Americans are much taller and bigger is because we drink milk. Its funny how when ever I go to my mosque, and I see a lot of boys who were born in the Middle East, I am much taller, even if I am younger. I'm avenge height by the way.


You would have to change the game here, make the hoop shorter for the rest of the world.

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Not necessarily - one of the most basketball obsessed nations in the world is the Phillippines.

I agree that basketball can be played by only short people and still enjoyed by fans. The problem, though, is that unlike soccer or baseball the game's basic design means that only teams with taller players will excel on the international stage. At present, there are only a relative handful of countries who posess the number of tall skilled players to compete sucessfully on the international stage. Phillippinos may be obsessed with basketball, but until they can also field a team capable of winning the world championship or olympics, the sport will never be at the global interest level that soccer is.