Have you ever asked yourself, “What is the best sport?” We will be covering the answer in this post, giving compelling reasons as to why basketball is the best sport. 

We are sure that if you are an athlete or, if you are looking to become an athlete, you would like to know which sport is the best. There are so many sports out there and many more being invented regularly, so there isn’t a lack of choices. 

Understandably, you would want to choose a sport that will satisfy your needs as it relates to physical and mental benefits. If you are an athlete surely you would want to know if you are a part of the best sport on Earth, we will be finding out today. Playing a sport has many benefits for the human body, but each individual is different, so choosing the best sport is quite important. 

In this article we will be discussing basketball, the sport that we think is the best sport. We will also be discussing the benefits that are derived from playing basketball. Additionally, we will be providing information that’s going to help you to understand why basketball is considered to be the best sport of them all.

Why is Basketball the Best Sport?

What is basketball? Basketball is a game that is loved all across the world by millions of people, those that are able to play and some that are only able to watch based on their inability to play, but they are still able to enjoy the game at any level. 

Basketball, in its simplest form, is a sport played by an individual or a team against other individuals or teams, with the aim of scoring more points than their opponents. Basketball players and coaches will use a combination of athleticism, skill and strategy to put the basketball in the basket, which will, in turn, allot points.

Here are the reasons why basketball is the best sport.

1. Anyone can play

There are many levels of basketball players, from the amateurs that play in the park to the professionals that play at an international level. Individuals at any age can play basketball. Young children can learn to play basketball because the rules are not that hard to remember.

When young children play against their peers, it can be quite enjoyable while being beneficial for them and their parents. Older children, teenagers, adults and even disabled persons are able to play.

2. Basketball helps us to understand who we are.

“Basketball doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” This is a quote from James Naismith, the man who created the sport we love, basketball. What was Mr. Naismith saying when he coined the phrase? Basketball has a funny way of revealing your character while you are playing. 

Do you have the heart to be the best in the big moments? Are you the one who looks out for everyone else, are you the passer? Are you the one that takes on the responsibility to make sure everything turns out right, are you the captain? Are you the guy who thinks only about himself, only about how people see you, with no regards for the repercussions of your actions, are you the hero? 

We can ask these questions and many more as it relates to the character that basketball brings out from each player as they play. 

The fact of the matter is, all of these characters are quite important to the game we all love so much, each player’s unique playing style contributes to the overall game.

3. Basketball helps to burn calories

Basketball is one of those unique sports that allows players to burn an incredible amount of calories. If you were to take a ball and shoot some hoops by yourself in your backyard, your driveway, or on the community court down the street, you could burn up to 300 calories in a single session.

If you play on a basketball team, a full basketball game of full-court can help you burn up to 700 calories. 

Let’s not forget one of the most common forms of basketball, half-court. Playing a half-court game for just 30 to 45 minutes can help a player burn over 500 calories. Keep in mind that these numbers will vary from player to player as each of us are different as it relates to our activity on the court. So, if you want to reap the full benefits of your exercise, try to stop slacking off on D. 

4. Basketball is a full body workout

What if we told you there was a sport that could provide you with strength training, jump training while giving you a full cardiovascular workout? If only there were such a sport. Well, there is one, basketball. Yes, we’re still talking about basketball, we just started. The combination of plyometrics AKA jump training (which is a very high-intensity workout for your legs), cardiovascular exercises and the strength training make basketball such an incredibly unique sport that can do so much for the body in one session. 

5. Second by second non-stop excitement

Another reason why basketball is the best sport is the pace of the game. 

Many people who watch and play basketball thoroughly enjoy the pace that it is played at. Because basketball is a per-second game, the opportunities for dull moments are quite rare. The game is strategically divided into four quarters but, the momentum and advantages gained by each team can switch at any second throughout the game. 

Both players and coaches continuously have to be monitoring what is happening on the court and adjust the way the team or individuals play accordingly. The pace of the game also helps with the conditioning achieved by the body after repetitive sessions. 

6. Incredibly fun

Basketball is intense, fast, adrenaline-packed and downright fun. So, what makes basketball fun? Yes, basketball provides players with a great workout, but the workout is just a single benefit provided by the sport. 

There are so many aspects of the game that contributes to the fun factor, from the pumped-up crowds to the skills of the players on the court that are being displayed to the chemistry of the teams and other things. Basketball is fun for both the players and the spectators. Basketball is a team sport and a team’s ability to gel and perform effectively while on the court can be beautiful.

7. Basketball teaches life lessons

In addition to playing efficiently on a team, players also receive the added benefits of learning valuable life lessons such as relying on each other, being dependable, valuing each other’s differences. They also learn the importance of being an individual while being a team player and also leadership skills. 

Yes, we said basketball is a team sport, but it can be analyzed at an individual level. Individual skills and team play can be equally important, depending on the situation. Unlike other sports where different positions are vastly different as it relates to importance, basketball is a sport where each individual on the court is equally important or should we say, should be equally important. Because of this, individual talent has a place within the team structure. 

8. Promotes individuality and develops leaders

In most cases where teams with individuals that are better than their opponent compete, it usually works out in a victory for the team with the best players. Note, we said in most cases. Well, even though it is true that teams with the best individual players are often victorious if those players do not find a way to work together efficiently, then chances are they are going to lose. 

There are cases where sheer individual talent overpowers the opponent regardless of the chemistry of the teams. This does not happen often or at least not at the higher levels of the game. 

Yet another reason why basketball is the best sport is its ability to develop leaders. 

Even though basketball is a team sport, the game is generally played with three players on the court per team for half-court games and the five players on the court per team for full-court games. This provides a greater opportunity for individuals to step out and lead because the team size is typically small.

The intensity in games, the love for the game and the immense desire to win will carve out leaders that will find a way to motivate and inspire teammates while performing at their best in order to ensure the W. Leadership skills garnered from playing basketball easily translates to the real world. 

9. Basketball teaches valuable life lessons

People that play basketball can take the lessons they learned as it relates to teamwork, diversity and acceptance into their corporate environments to help their businesses to grow stronger. Students that play basketball can also take the lessons learned on the basketball court into the classroom, and this will help them relate better to their teachers and peers.

The strong work ethic learned on a basketball team can also translate into the way a student studies, and this, in turn, will improve their grades.

Another reason why basketball is so great is the initial cost for basketball is lower when compared to other popular sports. To play basketball, all you need is a ball and a basketball rim. Your basketball can be based on your budget, which doesn’t have to be a lot, and you can start putting up shots anywhere there is a rim.

10. You can play almost anywhere with minimal gear

You can play in your backyard, in your driveway, on the street corner, in the school gym, at the park, pretty much anywhere you can locate a rim. There are aspects of the game that you can practice without a rim. You can practice your dribbling, your passing and your defense without a ball. 

After you have reached a level you are comfortable with, you can grab a couple of friends and get to hooping. If you are already playing basketball, you know how easy it is for someone to get started. Since you’ve already started to play, you can find the nearest location where other players are willing to join in on the action, and you have yourself a game.

What gear is necessary for basketball? Unlike many other sports, all you need is a decent pair of shoes. Yes, you can kit yourself out with different jerseys, sleeves, tights, socks, goggles, mouthguards and big brand shoes, but only if you choose to. Once you get yourself a pair of shoes that you can play in, you are perfectly fine.

Another reason why basketball is such a great sport is that you can enjoy it by yourself for hours on hours. You don’t need another person to go and put up a couple of shots or a couple of hundred shots, whichever one you choose. You can practice dribbling, shooting and passing on your own.

11. Basketball is always improving

The fun factor of basketball is always high because basketball is continuously improving. The rules for basketball are constantly changing and improving, so players and coaches need to change, adapt and adjust in turn. Generally, with these new rule changes, the difficulty level of the game changes as well. 

Some rules make it easier on the offense while making it harder on the defense, and some rules make it easier for the defense and harder on the offense. The latter is typically rare, but it does happen from time to time.

We haven’t mentioned the officials in basketball yet, so let’s take a look at how rule changes affect them. Referees and other officials need to be educated about changes in the rules whenever they occur so that they can officiate the games effectively. 

Other officials, such as organizers and league officials, also need to be aware of rule changes and court changes. When we say court changes, we are referring to the dimensions and locations of the lines on the court.

The changes in basketball can be tricky, but they always make the game more interesting. Can you imagine playing the game today without the three-point line? Today’s game has evolved to one that is extremely fast-paced and the distance shooting dependent. Your chances of success are incredibly increased if you’re able to shoot the ball from beyond the three-point arc. The three-point line was added to the NBA in 1979 decades after the game was invented.

So, as you can see, changes to the game are normally quite interesting, unlike other sports where changes are very hard to implement and in some ways are quite controversial.

What Makes Basketball Exciting to Watch?

You may be asking yourself what makes basketball fun to watch? So many people love basketball, but why? What are the reasons to love basketball? These questions may be answered differently based on the individual that they are posed to. However, there will be some similarities in the ways they are answered. 

1. Variety

Basketball is one of the few sports that allows for each player to be incredibly different in terms of their playing style even though they are playing the same positions or have the same roles. The individuality that is fostered by basketball is one of the reasons why basketball is so fun to watch.

Let me take you on a journey. Imagine a player coming down one end of the court and skillfully maneuvering is way past his opponent with a graceful behind the back crossover dribble, dribbles around a screen, sees the help defender, shot fakes and drives past said defender straight to the rim and then elevates for a one-handed Tomahawk dunk. 

Now, imagine that very same player 27 seconds later coming down the court facing the same opponent, crossovers between the legs to the right, hard dribbles forward and then suddenly step back. You know what’s next, oh yes you do, the James Harden step-back pull up for swish. In the space of 40 seconds, you have just witnessed two incredible offensive plays from the very same player that are quite different but resulting in points for his team. As the great Shaquille O’Neal would say, “are you not entertained?” This is just one small part of the game but can be personalized for each player. 

Watching basketball can be quite entertaining as the players display immense individual skills from their dribbling, passing, long-range shooting, high flying dunks and others. For those of us that applaud great defenders, we will find entertainment in player’s abilities to anticipate and react quickly to get steals and blocks.

Some players may not be as skilled as others, but their freakish athleticism allows them to stand out from the crowd. Basketball has a knack for producing athletes that can do things that are impossible even for aliens. Earl ‘the goat’ Manigault anyone? Too far back? How about Spud Webb? Vince Carter? Blake Griffin? Zach Lavine? Aaron Gordon? Surely you must know one of these amazing athletes.

2. Strategic

In addition to the athleticism and skills, other parts of the game that are particularly interesting to viewers included various strategies that coaches come up with to score points on the opposing team. These range from plays called for individual players to team-centric plays.

Coaches and players are also tasked with defending their basket to the best of their ability so you may find different defensive schemes implemented to stop or slow down individual opposing stars or slow down the opposing team in general. 

3. Debatable

Another fun aspect of watching basketball is debating with other spectators about the decisions made by the players and coaches. Whether it’s talking about what players are the best or what decisions we would have made if we were playing, the fact is, it is quite entertaining for us to argue with each other about different aspects of the game and players when we watch. Each player will have their individuality and aspects of their game that they draw from other players, and this allows us to have even more topics to debate about. Who did it best? Who did it last? What should they be doing instead?

4. Fast-paced

This beautiful game is so fast-paced that if you take your eyes off the action, chances are you will miss something great. The pace of the game allows for many possessions, and with each possession comes opportunities for greatness. After all, this is why we play. 

These are some of the reasons why it is such a great sport to watch—a few reasons to love basketball. 

What are the Health Benefits of Basketball?

1. Calorie consumption

The calorie consumption of basketball is unmatched by the majority of the other sports out there. A full basketball game can burn over 700 calories for an active player while simply putting up shots by yourself can help you to burn over 300 calories. As you can imagine playing like this will definitely, over time, build the individual’s endurance, build up the muscles associated with their movements, and provide a full cardiovascular workout. 

2. Cardiovascular fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is essential as it relates to reducing your risk of developing heart diseases. Cardiovascular fitness helps to reduce heart disease by improving your heart’s efficiency and the efficiency of your blood vessels and lungs. Basketball helps your body to maneuver in aerobically challenging situations easier over time.

Being cardiovascular fit means that you can complete activities throughout your day that require cardiovascular fitness in a much easier manner. Yes, simple activities such as climbing stairs, swimming, hiking and biking all have cardiovascular demand. Playing basketball will provide you with the confidence to carry out these activities much easier. The ability to go through your day without being winded at various intervals will definitely improve your quality of life.

3. Basketball keeps us in shape

If you are interested in a sport that can help you to stay in shape or get in shape, basketball is a viable option for you. As it is with any workout, it will require some amount of consistency on your part, but over time you will start to see results. 

The advantage of playing basketball compared to merely going to the gym for a workout is basketball is something that you can enjoy with your peers, which will make it an enjoyable activity and not just a dull workout. Basketball will help you learn life lessons and help you build a social family as you get to know the people you play with.

The myriad of plays associated with a basketball game such as setting pics, boxing out for rebounds, quickly changing direction and repeated jumping all make up for a vigorous leg workout. 

Playing basketball will definitely help to improve an individual’s coordination and overall balance. The muscle built up by basketball players usually makes these athletes look like beasts. The physicality of basketball includes so many muscle sets because so many different activities are required for the sport to be played.

Basketball players that are playing in leagues typically have to take care of their bodies to have a successful, long-lasting career. Throughout the lifespan of their careers, if basketball players stick to the workout regiments stipulated by their trainers, they usually turn out to be incredible physical specimens. 

These aren’t the only benefits that can be derived from basketball. Let’s explore some benefits on the mental side of things.

 

What are the Mental Benefits of Basketball?

1. Basketball promotes self-discipline and concentration

Even though the rules of basketball can be quite easily memorized, based on the intricacies of the sport, they do require a fair amount of concentration to follow. Breaking the rules of the game will result in penalties sustained by both the player and the team. This knowledge will help players to develop self-discipline, acceptance, practice of fair play and concentration. 

Self-discipline and concentration while performing an activity are lessons that can translate into an individual’s everyday life. These are a few mental benefits that basketball can provide.

Basketball has a funny way of teaching us the importance of accepting losses while working hard to be victorious. Basketball helps us to understand the importance of being fair while perform any activity is just as important as being skillful and strategic.

2. Enhances strategic thinking

To be successful at playing the game of basketball, players need to learn how to adapt quickly to the ever-changing situations on the court. Players must also learn how to multitask as they play. These actions train our brains to think, react and adapt quickly to other situations that we encounter throughout our lives. 

Due to the fast-paced nature of the game, good basketball players are generally quick strategic thinkers that have the ability to think on their feet and make decisions that not only affect them but the people around them. Basketball trains their brain that way.

3. Relieves stress

Let’s now take a look at the stress-relieving benefits of basketball. Surely, we can agree that basketball is not the only sport with this benefit, but it is one that we must highlight none the less. Because of the social nature of basketball, basketball players tend not to be affected by depression in most cases. 

Endorphins are known to help lower stress levels in individuals, and basketball is one sport that allows players to release large amounts of endorphins while they play, hence releasing a lot of tension that players may have before stepping on the basketball court.

4. Fosters childhood development

Basketball is a wonderful sport as it relates to child development. Introducing your children to basketball can provide enormous mental benefits such as improved coordination, accuracy, concentration and Leadership skills. 

The basic plays of basketball such as shooting, dribbling and jumping require practice. If you get your children to commit to practice, the benefits are easily attained. Basketball helps to reduce childhood obesity due to the physical nature of the game, and children that are in shape tend to be more confident. 

5. Social growth

We all know that stimulating conversations can help to ease our mental stress. These conversations are good for our minds and relationships. If you find a group of guys or girls at a basketball court before or after a game, chances are they are discussing the players or strategies implemented by the coaches. 

People discuss local and international games at such an intense level you would believe that they have their families on the teams. It is always good to have a good conversation with your friends and family, and basketball is one of the most interesting topics out there to talk about.

What Makes Basketball Better than Other Sports like Football?

What is the best sport? We say basketball. Why is basketball better than football? Let’s find out. Off the bat, we can give you creativity, strategy, degree of difficulty, pace, it is easier to understand and explain, and each position has a great deal of importance.

1. Creativity

Basketball provides each player a unique opportunity to add their own flare to the game. This flair mixed with athleticism, strength, commitment and desire to win is a recipe for something amazing, this game we love. 

Unfortunately, football players cannot put their stamp on the game as easy as basketball players can for a lot of reasons such as touches on the ball, rules of the game, physical capabilities, and much more. Basketball players can be different in the way they shoot, the way they dribble, the way they defend, their court vision, their athletic abilities and even their personalities on the court. All of these variations affect the game in different ways.

2. Strategy

The strategies employed by coaches and players both on offense and defense can vary and change even within the strategies themselves.

3. Degree of difficulty

Basketballs at any level can be tricky. We have a very big ball that we are trying to place in a very small rim. In addition to this challenge, you have an equal number of opposing players trying to prevent you from doing this. Even though the sport can be somewhat tricky, our desire to win and overcome challenges allows us to find this aspect of the game to be quite entertaining.

4. Pace

Because basketball games rarely stop, the action is end-to-end. Spectators and the players can enjoy a more considerable amount of brilliant plays compared to football. Outside of the games themselves, in most countries, basketball competitions have multiple matches going on in rapid succession. This allows for the avid basketball follower to always be entertained by one game or the next compared to football, where games are typically played once a week on specific days.

5. Easily understood

The rules of basketball, at first, maybe a little tricky to get and play within. However, after a short period, the game can be easily understood even by a small child. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about football as the rules are complicated and incredibly numerous. It is much easier to explain and understand the positioning of players on a basketball court. The maximum amount of basketball players that can be on the court for each team at any given time is 5, whereas in football, it is 11.

6. Player equality

Not only does football have six additional players, but their roles on the field will vary vastly in comparison to the five players on a basketball court. In some cases, basketball players are almost equally important with similar roles or roles that are easily distinguishable based on their skills or size.

Wrapping Things Up: Why is Basketball the Best Sport Ever?

There are so many ways to answer this question. But let’s look at it like this, basketball is exceptionally competitive. The majority of us love to compete and win. Basketball allows us to compete, and when we don’t win, we learn. 

In addition to the fact that we can compete in a sport we love, basketball provides us with a large amount of both mental and physical benefits that other sports do not offer. Basketball helps us to build ourselves while helping others. 

We learn how to lead, and we learn how to follow. It allows us to relieve our stress while doing something we love. All these reasons are why we play. So, the next time you are asked, what is the best sport? Respond with, “ball is life, basketball never stops.” Until the next time ballers, remember, basketball does not build character, it reveals it.

If you enjoyed this post, you’ll like our other basketball FAQ articles here.

Make sure to also check these posts:

> What is the Nature of Basketball?

> NBA 3-Point Line History: How it Changed the Game

> How Long Does a Basketball Game Last?

> How Long is a Basketball Game?