thesis statement on basketball

142 Basketball Topics & Essay Examples

If you need to write a research paper about basketball, it’s useful to read through some essay examples while looking for content ideas. Our team has compiled this selection of the best basketball research topics.

👟Top 10 Basketball Topics to Write about

🏆 best topics about basketball, 🤾 good basketball research topics, 🏀 interesting basketball titles for essays, 🎓 simple & easy basketball essay topics, ❓ research questions for basketball essays.

• Physiology of basketball players.
• Difference in football and basketball mechanics.
• Michael Jordan: basketball legend.
• Professional basketball and health risks.
• Mathematics of the basketball court.
• Comparing NBA basketball teams.
• Is basketball a dangerous sport?
• Bullying in college basketball teams.
• Efficacy of basketball slogans.
• Most famous basketball games of all time.
• The Cost of Running a NBA Basketball Team The estimated value is derived from a breakdown of various aspects such as; Sport which contribute 52% of the total worth Stadium which contribute 16% of the total worth Market which contribute 24% of the […]
• LeBron James’s: Biography of a Famous Basketball Player However, while people hear his name for a number of reasons, LeBron James became famous for his expertise in the game of basketball.
• Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player Michael was born into a large family he is the fourth of the five children in the family, and his parents are James and Deloris Jordan.
• National Basketball Association SWOT Analysis NBA headquarters are located in the USA, where the largest fan base and players reside. In the USA, the association has a huge fan base.
• Perfect Diet for a Women’s College Basketball Player Due to their complexity, proteins take a while in the body and that means that a lot of energy will be kept in the body only to be released at intervals when the body needs […]
• Jim Carroll’s Drug Addiction in the Movie “The Basketball Diaries” by Leonardo Dicaprio After the bursting of Jim and apprehending of his friends, using drugs red handed by the couch, disintegration starts taking place in the group and most of the boys lose their essence for being thrown […]
• An Overview of the Game of Basketball The game is played by throwing a puffed-up ball over the heads of the players; the ball goes down through one of the two baskets dangling at each end of the court.
• NBA: Competing on Global Delivery With Akamai OS Streaming Thus, the use of Akamai helps the NBA compete within this market because the company’s services are used to guarantee the provision of the high-quality content around the globe of regardless the location of the […]
• Rhetorical Analysis of Basketball In this aspect, it is worth considering basketball not only from an emotional and ethical point of view but also from a logical one, thus, the logos.
• National Basketball Association: Porter’s Forces Analysis One way the use of Akamai has given NBA an edge is through the use of its 25,000 servers located across the globe.
• Changes in NBA History Kirchberg makes a comparison of the growth of the league to the growth of athletes by noting that the league has grown “From the first superstar, center George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers, to its […]
• 12-Week Basketball Training Plan for Male Players However, on the other hand, the rhythm of the exercises should be less demanding for the athlete to have time to recover and regain energy after the season.
• The Aspects of Basketball in the American Society In the 1980s, the National Basketball Association was organized in order to represent the interests of the professional players and regulate the main principles of the sport.
• World Basketball Legend: Stephen Curry In 2008, he was included in the second symbolic team of the best players in the US Student Championship, and in 2009 Curry played in the first team.
• NBA Live 08 by EA Sports: History and Gameplay The last “generation” game to be released prior to the NBA Live series was NBA Showdown which was released in 1994 NBA Live 95 was the first of the series to be released and appeared […]
• San Antonio Spurs Analysis: The National Basketball Association San Antonio Spurs is one of the major teams in the National Basketball Association in the United States of America representing the city of San Antonio in the league.
• The US Basketball Teams’ Performance Analysis Data set was obtained from the NBA was categorical to the; NBA Team, year of specific games, points scored, and average level of the competence of the team.
• How White Privilege Works in Basketball White players are not obliged to understand or research the history of racism in sports and basketball. Non-white players are unable to be ignorant of race as they often encounter issues that have racism at […]
• Geometry Web Quest for Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Golf, Volleyball and Pool Field for golf is the biggest and made of grass, sand and water and is the biggest and it has no fixed shape. Soccer field is made of grass or synthetic material and is the […]
• Plyometric Training Effects on Jumping Performance in Junior Basketball Players Before the training procedure, the maximum vertical jump height of the groups was recorded, as well as the results of isometric tests on the maximal voluntary force of hip and knee extensors and the rate […]
• The Business Side of NBA and Other Sports The use of sports and the development of mass media have facilitated the growth of professionalism in sports.”This has created some friction where by the money is seen as more important than the recreational aspect”.
• Mark Cuban’s Leadership Style in a Basketball Team Leadership is the process of influencing people through acts of motivation and providing the employees with the course and the organizational goals.
• Sports Passion: Basketball in the Stadium Once the game is on and the ball is being dribbled on the court, spectators are glued to the ball and where it is.
• Kobe Bryant: “Beefsteak” in American Basketball History All through high school, he became star player on the courts and merited sufficient honors and triumphs to compensate for his lack of college basketball experience.
• Racial Diversity in the University Basketball Team In this tournament, I noted that the predominant races in most of the teams were African American and Caucasian. Although the lack of racial diversity in the University’s basketball team is apparent, few people seem […]
• National Basketball Association: Team Work From 1884 to 1889, the Spurs team had a rough time as they lost during all the four seasons, but with the help of Red McCombs, the originator, the team got encouraged and started improving.
• National Basketball Association’s Corporate Culture Therefore, it could be argued that emphasis on social issues, innovative approach to marketing, and size advantages are the main strengths of the league in the process of adaptation to the forces of globalization.
• Donald Sterling and National Basketball Association The scenario has attracted the attention of sports administrators and sociologists who have given their respective interpretations of the events that led to Sterling losing the ownership of the professional basketball franchise of the National […]
• NBA’s Corporate Culture Modernization Project The objective of this project is to explore the consequences for the NBA in terms of its social activity and to analyze the ways it will modernize its corporate culture to address the issues correctly.
• UC Riverside Men’s Basketball Team’s Social Media Marketing In order to increase credibility and maintain professionalism, the proposed website, twitter fan page, and Facebook channels will encompass processes and features that flawlessly facilitate a healthy lifetime relationship between social media and the UCR […]
• The NBA 2K Game as the Element of Popular Culture Despite the original aim of producing the series of popular video games NBA 2K is a popularization of basketball among the representatives of the modern situation, the release of the series also focuses on advertising […]
• Sports and Entertainment Event in the USA: NBA Playoffs The NBA Playoffs is one of the favorite sporting events in the US. The viewer rating for the NBA Playoffs shows that this event is one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the […]
• UCR Women’s Basketball Marketing Strategies Designing jerseys that contain a logo and the name of the basketball and selling them to fans, supporters, and sponsors effectively promote UCR Women’s Basketball.
• 2011 NBA Lockout: Public Relations Failure The NBA strike began on the 1st of July, 2011 and is still in effect until the time when the NBA owners and the National Basketball Players Association will make a deal.
• The Basketball Game A basketball is a vital component in the game of basketball at the playing field, commonly referred to as a court and the basket. The lighter the basketball, the easier it is to roll the […]
• Comparison and Contrast of Jordan and Bird in the Game of Basketball
• Comparison Between Basketball and Soccer
• Comparison Between High School and College Basketball and Professional Basketball
• Analysis of the Basketball Community in New York City
• Analysis of the Basketball Game and Rules
• Analysis of the Fail to Succeed for Michael Jordan
• Analysis of the Impact of Money on Athletes in Relation to Basketball Players
• Basketball and Amateur Athletic Union
• Basketball Vs. Baseball
• Differences Between Amateur and Professional Basketball
• New York City Basketball Lost a Legendary Figure Last Week
• Middle Schools Should Return Middle School Basketball
• Effects of the Sport Education Model on University Students Game Performance and Content Knowledge in Basketball
• Employee Discipline and Basketball Referees: A Prediction Market Approach
• Greatest College Basketball Coach of All Time
• Basketball for Short People Basket to Be Lowered
• LeBron James Vs. Kevin Durant in NBA basketball
• Joseph Jefferson Jackson Missed Chance in the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Duration-Specific Peak Acceleration Demands During Professional Female Basketball Matches
• Identifying and Describing the Bad Boy in the Game of Basketball
• Market Evidence Against Widespread Point Shaving in College Basketball
• NBA During the 70s the Rise in Popularity of Basketball
• Suppose That the Price of Basketball Tickets at Your
• Clemon Tigers Men’s Basketball Team
• Broken Dreams and Predictable Future in Ex-Basketball Player by John Updike
• Relationship Between Outcome Uncertainties and Match Attendance: New Evidence in the National Basketball Association
• Joe Jackson Should Have a Place in the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Foreign Players and Competitive Balance in Greek Basketball and Handball Championships
• Practice and Feedback Methods to Improve Performance of Basketball Layups
• Factors determining production (FDP) in basketball
• Beckett Brenn High School All American Basketball Player
• Past, Present and Future of Lithuanian Basketball
• Basketball Comparison Clash Vince Carter
• Biography and Life Work of Basketball Player Michael Jordan
• Biography and Life Work of Larry Bird
• Life Work of Michael Jordan, an American Professional Basketball Player
• History of Basketball, a Popular Sport in America
• A Multicriteria Selection System Based on Player Performance
• Analysis of the Pyramid of Success from the Sports Successes of Basketball Coach John Wooden
• Proposal for a New Draft Process in the National Basketball Associations
• Basketball History: From Origins and Geographical Diffusion
• Basketball in Colleges University
• Basketball Shoes Product Positioning
• Basketball Is the Most Important Factor on Offense
• Benefits of Basketball Is the Most Productive Sport for Children
• Coaching High School Boys’ Basketball
• Corruption in College Basketball
• Consumption Benefits and Gambling: Evidence from the NCAA Basketball Betting Market
• Cultural Manifestation Via a Game of Street Basketball
• Developing a Basketball Training Program
• High School and Phenomenon Basketball Player
• Kobe Bryant: The Best Basketball Player of the Last Decade
• Leadership Qualities and Characteristics of Successful Basketball Coaches
• Marketing Plan for Basketball
• Methods and Techniques Used for Endurance Developing for the Basketball Beginner Teams
• Michael Jordan the Greatest of All Time National Basketball
• National Basketball Association and Cedar Park Center
• National Basketball Association and the Woman National Basketball Association
• Playing For Money / NBA Basketball Players and Personal Greed
• Professional Basketball Physical Performance and Genetic Predisposition
• Development and Evolution of Basketball
• Difference Between College and Professional Basketball
• Effect of Additional Police Force on Crime Rate: Evidence from Women’s Japan Basketball League
• History of Modern Basketball
• Media and Its Effects on the Sport of Basketball
• Women’s College Basketball History and Background
• Who Is Your Favorite Basketball Player?
• How Can Basketball Affect the Growth of a Child
• How a Basketball Player Vertical Jump Hang Time?
• Does Mental Imagery Improve the Performance of Free Throws in Basketball?
• Why Lebron Is the Best Basketball Player of His Time?
• What Muscles Does a Basketball Player Primarily Focus on?
• How Earl Lloyd Changed Basketball History?
• How Can Basketball Affect the Growth of a Child?
• What Does the Material Record Tell Us About Human Use of Space at the Basketball Courts?
• How Has Basketball Changed My Life?
• Does Basketball Star Endorsement Work in China?
• How to Increase Stamina in Basketball with Physical Exercises?
• Are Sunk Costs Irrelevant in the Basketball?
• How Did Basketball Influence the Philippines?
• How Does Gravity Limit my Potential as a Basketball Player?
• Do You Agree that Football Play is equal to Professional Athletes?
• What Does It Take to Be a Basketball Player?
• Does the Basketball Market Believe in the ‘Hot Hand’?
• How the Dream Team Changed Basketball Forever?
• How Basketball Statistics Affect Winning Percentage for NCAA Division?
• Are Former Professional Basketball Athletes and Native Better Coaches?
• What Does Basketball Look Like Without Michael Jordan?
• Does Early Career Achievement Lead in the Basketball to Earlier Death?
• Are Professional Basketball Players Reference-Dependent?
• Does Gender Affect Compensation Among NCAA Basketball Coaches?
• How Being a Basketball Player Teaches You to Handle Defeat?
• Are You Someone Waiting to Enter the World of Basketball?
• What a Basketball Player Should Eat?
• How Is Basketball Affected by Biomechanics?
• Should College Basketball Be Banned?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Basketball — Basketball is My Favorite Sport

Basketball is My Favorite Sport

• Categories: Basketball Favorite Sport

About this sample

Words: 1245 |

Updated: 27 November, 2023

Words: 1245 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

The essay discusses the author's passion for basketball and their personal journey with the sport. The author describes how they have been playing basketball since a young age and have grown attached to the game. They explain that basketball is a team sport with various positions, with the author playing as the point guard.

The essay reflects on the author's experience of joining a basketball team in the 7th grade, highlighting the excitement and the opportunity to make new friends. They express admiration for their favorite player on the team, emphasizing the shooter's exceptional skills.

The author emphasizes that basketball has had a positive impact on their life, providing confidence and a sense of purpose. They acknowledge the hard work and dedication required to excel in the sport, including rigorous practices and physical challenges.

The essay also mentions the author's favorite NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, and their admiration for player Steph Curry. They appreciate Curry's confidence and work ethic, aspiring to be like him in the future.

The essay concludes by underlining the importance of basketball in the author's life, from being a hobby to an obsession. It has helped them grow, gain confidence, and stay healthy. Basketball has also allowed them to meet new people and continue enjoying the sport with friends and family.

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Hook Examples for Basketball Essay

• The Sound of Sneakers: Step onto the hardwood and listen closely to the rhythmic echoes of squeaking sneakers. The court comes alive, and so does the spirit of the game.
• From Dr. Naismith to the NBA: Trace the captivating journey of basketball from its humble beginnings in a Springfield gym to becoming a global phenomenon that showcases the incredible talent of athletes worldwide.
• The Artistry of Slam Dunks: Explore the sheer beauty and athleticism of slam dunks, where players defy gravity and captivate fans with their awe-inspiring feats above the rim.
• Basketball: More Than a Sport: Uncover the deeper layers of basketball’s impact on society, from fostering teamwork and discipline to providing a source of inspiration and unity.
• Breaking Barriers: Women in Basketball: Shatter stereotypes and celebrate the remarkable achievements of female basketball players who have transcended gender boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the sport.

Works Cited

• National Basketball Association. (n.d.). Official website. Retrieved from https://www.nba.com/
• NBA History. (n.d.). Basketball history. Retrieved from https://www.nba.com/history/
• Stankovic, M. (2006). Basketball encyclopedia: 100 years of the game. Overlook Press.
• Hemphill, D. (2019). Basketball: How it works. The Rosen Publishing Group.
• Meagher, T., & Aranda, C. (2018). Coaching basketball successfully. Human Kinetics.
• Oliver, D. (2012). Basketball on paper: Rules and tools for performance analysis. Potomac Books.
• McCallum, J. (2017). Golden days: West’s Lakers, Steph’s Warriors, and the California dreamers who reinvented basketball. Ballantine Books.
• Batchelor, B., & Harris, I. (2020). Basketball (and other things): A collection of questions asked, answered, illustrated. Abrams Image.
• Cooper, L. A. (2016). Basketball: Great writing about America’s game. Library of America.
• The Hoop Doctors. (n.d.). Basketball drills and skills development. Retrieved from https://thehoopdoctors.com/

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148 Excellent Basketball Essay & Speech Topics for Students

If you want to write a memorable essay on basketball, you have chosen the right article.

Are you a player, or do you prefer to watch the game? Doesn’t matter! We all are here to write a good essay about basketball. Read this article to find some ideas and inspiration. We have prepared a list of 150 basketball essay titles for you!

• 🏀 Top 20 Basketball Topics
• 🗑️ Topics for Any Taste
• ⛹️‍♀️ Basketball Research Topics
• ⛹️‍♂️ Basketball Speech Topics
• 📚 Basketball Inspiration

If you don’t know much about basketball, you can learn from this article!

Check each section to find the best topic! First are the hottest 20 basketball topics – these are the themes relevant all the time. The following selection suggests topics for literally any taste; then read topics for research about basketball. And, finally, basketball speech topics, in case you have to prepare a speech about basketball.

🏀 Top 20 Basketball Essay Topics

• The history of NBA creation and its influence in the modern world.
• Do elite basketball athletes deserve their high salaries?
• Basketball athletes train hard: describe their workout and eating routines.
• Salary discrimination in NBA .
• The benefits of basketball socialization among children and young adults.
• Basketball vs. football. What are the key differences between the games?
• How to become a successful professional basketball player?
• Playing basketball in high school and college helps to develop communicational skills.
• How was basketball created and popularized?
• Doping ussue in basketball.
• Basketball at the Olympic games. The critical historical moments.
• Gender inequality in basketball.
• Is professional basketball an appropriate type of sport for amateurs?
• The psychological benefits of team sports. The case of basketball.
• Playing basketball is an excellent activity for people with sedentary lifestyles.
• The dangers of playing basketball: from bullying to physical traumas.
• The culture of basketball among American citizens 20 years ago and today.
• Management and marketing of basketball.
• Does talent or persistence play a primary role in a basketball career?
• Why do basketball fans support particular teams or players?

🗑️ Basketball Essay Topics for Any Taste

In this section, you will find basketball essay ideas on various topics: game rules, rules violation, famous basketball players, college & high school basketball essay, and funny basketball essay topics. Make sure to read them all and choose the best one!

Basketball Essay Topics: Rules of the Game

• Who created the rules of the basketball game? Describe James Naismith, the teacher who started the game. What was his incentive? How did he develop the idea?
• What were the original 13 rules of dr. James Naismith? Basketball rules were not the same as we can see them today. Compare the modern practices with the original ones.
• Why are there only five players on a basketball court? At first, there was no rule like this. There could be seven or even eight players on the court.
• The main types of basketball shots and the scoring. Explain the types of shots from different lines. Write about shooting techniques.
• The requirements for basketball courts: the size and the markings. You can write about it from a historical perspective and describe the changes. Also, you can talk about men’s and women’s basketball courts.
• Using foul strategy in basketball.
• The differences between the rules in NBA, WNBA, and NCAA .
• The way basketball rules changed over time.
• The rules of the offense and defense teams : the key differences.
• The rule differences for men and women in basketball.

Basketball Essay Topics: Rules Violation

• The primary rule violations in basketball. You can write about traveling, the 5-second rule, etc. explain why they are breaking the rules and when they appeared.
• NBA rule number 10: violations and penalties. Describe the critical moments of rules violation, provide the corresponding sections of the rule, and explain the cases.
• Fights and quarrels between basketball teams during games. Provide some examples of the most famous fights and reasons for them. Include media coverage and overall reaction.
• The consequences of breaking the rules in basketball. Explain what the difference between the occurring fouls and violations is.
• Time, dribbling, and goaltending violations in basketball. Describe each type of violation and why they happen.
• Non-foul and foul rules violations in basketball.
• Describe penalties for different types of fouls .
• What are the most common types of basketball infringement?
• Performance-enhancing drugs in basketball.
• Steroids in basketball. Legalized and prohibited supplements .

Basketball Essay Topics about Famous Players

• Michael Jordan : training program, lifestyle, and habits. No doubt, he is one of the key players of all time. Write about Michael Jordan’s routine and explain why it helped him to achieve such results.
• Bill Russell : one of the greatest defenders of all time. Explain how he earned such a reputation playing for Boston Celtics. Describe his rebounding abilities.
• Lebron James’s sports career and social activity. There were several teams he played for, including the US national team. He is also a supporter of several non-profit organizations and has an active social life.
• Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s charity and struggles with AIDS. Describe his HIV activism and participation in the national commission on AIDS. Write about the charity events he organized .
• Oscar Robertson’s statistics and contribution to basketball. Write about his achievements during the 1963-1964 season. Mention his key career points.
• Who is the most famous basketball player of today?
• Larry Bird’s biography and his way to success.
• How Lebron James became one of the most significant players of all time?
• How Wilt Chamberlain changed basketball as a sport?
• How Tim Duncan earned his nickname “the Big Fundamental?”

College & High School Basketball Essay Topics

• A basketball scholarship is a way to start a successful career. Many professional players begin their career playing for a college team. Explain why scholarships give young players a chance to become pros.
• Why do children feel less motivated to play active games? The reason might be the role of mobile phones and other technologies, lack of time, or overprotective parents.
• The benefits of playing basketball for children. Like any active sport, basketball has a positive effect on physical development . Describe why sports, especially team games, are suitable for children.
• The role of team sports in high school and college. Players, fans, and competition. Describe how this system is organized, the (un)written rules, the distribution of roles, and other aspects.
• Why are team games such as basketball important in children’s development?
• Basketball, volleyball or football: which game is the safest for children?
• What life lessons can basketball teach children?
• How to motivate young players and keep them interested?
• Why do children dream of becoming basketball players?
• The significance of basketball championships at the college level.

Funny Basketball Essay Topics

• How many calories do professional basketball players consume?
• What is the scariest thing to a basketball player?
• The funniest nicknames given to basketball players.
• How being tall as a basketball player changes your life?
• Why was the ball color changed to orange?
• What are the hilarious rules that don’t make sense?
• Simulation and exaggerating in basketball: lousy acting.
• Why were Jordan sneakers banned from the NBA?
• The funniest basketball variations that are surprisingly popular.
• The shortest and the tallest players in NBA.

⛹️‍♀️ Excellent Topics for a Basketball Research Paper

Now, if it is more serious than an essay – here are some good topics to write a basketball research paper on. The history of basketball, psychology research, and some controversial topics for a good basketball research paper – will make a great paper.

Women’s Basketball Topics

• Gender inequality in team sports. Is women’s basketball a popular sport? Compare several team sports. Write about media coverage, pay gaps, and other statistics.
• The portrayal of female basketball players in the media. Describe the most popular women in the sport and their public appearances covered by the media.
• Levels of competition in women’s basketball in the United States. Describe college games, types of professional leagues, and international competitions.
• Women basketball players in cinematography and literature. The three films that you might need are O ff The Rez , She Got Game , and Training Rules . You can also compare them to men’s portrayal in cinema about basketball.
• The history of WNBA creation and its role in women’s sports.
• An overview of the professional leagues in women’s basketball.
• Why do female basketball players receive a lower income than men ?
• The best women’s basketball teams of all time.
• The best women basketball players of all time.
• The career competition among women basketball players in the United States.

Topics for a Paper about Basketball History

• Basketball uniform variations and changes through history. Basketball exists more than one hundred years. Indeed, materials and styles change. Discuss the significant modifications in uniform and footwear.
• The evolution of basketball: significant changes and perception . Describe how a school game became one of the most popular team sports.
• The first basketball game in Europe: Paris , 1983. Explain why it was an important sport event and what its impact was. What challenges did they face?
• Top highest-scoring game in NBA history . You can write about the statistics of each game. Mention the members of the teams who played the most prominent roles in the result.
• The Naismith memorial basketball hall of fame . Describe the location and the members. Explain who built it and why.
• Basketball in the 20th century and now. What is different?
• The early years of basketball. How did the sport become popular?
• How the culture of basketball evolved and changed?
• The greatest basketball coaches in history and their contribution to the sports.
• The role of YMCA in basketball popularization.

Controversial Basketball Topics for Research

• Cardiovascular diseases and joint problems among professional players. Each professional sport is a risk of trauma. Describe typical injuries and illnesses among basketball players .
• “No tolerance rule” and technical fouls injustice. NBA created a new rule at the start of the 2006-2007 season. Officials can sign technical fouls to players who complain about calls.
• The connection between basketball and politics in the modern world. Describe the political positions of NBA players. Write about protests and activism.
• The bond between basketball and hip-hop culture . Explain the influence of hip-hop subculture on the sport. Then, describe famous players’ music careers.
• Bullying and accusations of racism in basketball. Write about the issues and famous examples. Then, describe the positions of associations and the way they fight the problems.
• When is the right time for professional basketball players to retire?
• Injuries in basketball. Is it possible to avoid or prevent them ?
• A career in sports: pros and cons of choice.
• Do great basketball players inevitably become great coaches?
• Should tournaments be held during the lockdown?

Basketball Psychology Research Paper Topics

• Basketball is a way to cure mental illnesses. How do sports help mental health? What are the benefits of team sports in particular?
• Sports psychologist: the primary responsibilities of the profession. Research the spheres of their work. It might be motivation, anxiety , or rehabilitation.
• Why do basketball athletes need to train their minds? Sports are challenging not only on the physical level. Discuss why mental stamina is vital for athletes.
• Mental pressure in professional basketball: the ways to deal with it. Pro players deal with a lot of attention. Media, fans, and haters – how to fight all the negative coming from the outside?
• The bond between mindfulness and exemplary performance in basketball. Write about typical practices of athletes and how it affects performance. Physical and psychological relief with the help of basketball. Myth or reality?
• The benefits of playing basketball for curing depression .
• How can your attitude to life change performance in basketball?
• Why do professional athletes struggle with depression and stress after retirement?
• How can basketball affect the mental health of the players?

⛹️‍♂️ Good Topics for a Speech about Basketball

Do you need to prepare a speech about basketball? Consider these themes: iconic basketball moments, international basketball, motivational and informative topics about basketball.

Speech about Basketball Iconic Moments

• Karem Abdul-Jabaar won his sixth MVP award in 1980. It is NBA’s most valuable player award. Explain why he deserved the honor and what its significance was.
• Shaquille O’Neal became one of the “50 greatest players in history” at the age of 24. In October 1996, he became a part of the NBA’s top 50. It was a great honor to join the list at such a young age.
• Magic Johnson at 1980 finals, game 6. It was one of the greatest moments in his career. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, and the Lakers won the game.
• Michael Jordan’s final shot at the finals of 1998. NBA finals of 1998 have the highest TV rating in history. It was his last game for Chicago Bulls before retirement.
• Bill Russell: top 10 iconic moments in his career.
• Michael Jordan’s most significant moments in NBA history.
• Game 5 between Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns in 1976.
• What was the most excellent game in basketball history?
• The 1965 eastern division finals . Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain’s rivalry.
• Larry Bird’s steal at the eastern conference finals in 1987.

Topics for a Speech about International Basketball

• FIBA: the eight founding nations and amateur sport. FIBA was founded in 1932 in Geneva as an amateur organization. At first, there were only seven national associations.
• The popularity of basketball outside the United States. Of course, Americans were the first nation to popularize the sport worldwide. These days basketball is one of the most famous team sports in any country.
• The United States “Dream Team” and the 1992 summer Olympics . It was the first national team in which were only pro players from the NBA. Discuss their legacy and performance.
• Basketball in South Africa: BSA and teams . BSA is a part of FIBA and consists of six national teams. Discuss the impact of NBA and FIBA on basketball in Africa.
• Basketball in East Asian countries : the influence of the cultural aspects . Discuss the pro and amateur leagues. Talk about basketball’s popularity among children and adults.
• The differences between basketball leagues in Europe and the USA. International basketball association organization and franchises.
• FIBA Europe. How is it organized?
• Famous European basketball teams and athletes.
• Professional basketball leagues outside the United States.

Topics for a Basketball Motivational Speech

• Famous basketball players as role models for the young generation . Many young boys and girls want to become rich and famous athletes. Write about why they like basketball players and use them as role models.
• Michael Jordan: from a pro player to a successful brand owner. It was hard for him to retire fully, so he even came back several times. Now he is an owner of the Jordan brand and a billionaire.
• Why mental stamina is as important as physical abilities. Talk about stress and pressure pro players face in their careers.
• The advice of famous basketball players on building a career in sports. Talk about renowned player’s interview moments when they answer this question. You can also include their speeches in front of young players.
• What motivates successful basketball players to achieve more?
• How much does it take to become a professional basketball player?
• Why basketball community is the best way to motivate junior athletes?
• How successful basketball players manage their time?
• How do coaches motivate their team before essential games?
• Why is discipline more essential than talent in basketball?

Informative Speech About Basketball

• The greatest basketball exhibition games in history. There are usually eight NBA preseason games per year. You can also discuss college exhibition games.
• Basketball tournaments and workouts during coronavirus pandemic . Discuss how the pandemic changed the lives of athletes and fans . Describe the training routine and safety measures.
• The significance of basketball Guinness records . The highest jump, the longest shot, the fastest run, etc. Discuss the impact of the records.
• The responsibilities of basketball officials during tournaments. There are two or three referees with a court area to watch for each one. Discuss their positions and roles in the game.
• How do basketball players train in winter and summer?
• How are basketball training programs developed and implemented?
• Basketball terminology and slang. How to sound like a pro?
• Basketball coaching and teaching styles vital differences.
• Professional basketball player’s training and nutrition facts .
• The importance of keeping the positions in professional basketball teams.

💡 Where to Get Ideas for a Basketball Essay or Speech?

There are so many movies, books, and blogs about basketball. They can be motivational, informing, and even touching. Each of them can inspire you to start playing basketball or to write a perfect essay.

We offer to pay attention to the following cultural product

Wondering what books are informative and engaging at the same time? Just choose one from this list! Here are our top picks.

• ‘The Breaks of the Game’ (1981) by David Halberstam
• ‘A Season on the Brink’ (1986) by John Feinstein
• ‘The Jordan Rules’ (1991) by Sam Smith
• ‘Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich’ (2007) by Mark Kriegel
• ‘Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success’ (2013) by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty
• ‘Dream Team’ (2013) by Jack McCallum

Do you enjoy watching movies? Well, it is a great idea to prepare your assignment while doing what you love. Check our compilation

• ‘He Got Game’ (1998), dir. Spike Lee
• ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ (1992), dir. Ron Shelton
• ‘The Basketball Diaries’ (1996), dir. Scott Kalvert
• ‘Coach Carter’ (2005), dir. Thomas Carter
• ‘Love and Basketball’ (2000), dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood
• ‘High Flying Bird’ (2019), dir. Steven Soderbergh

For more ideas, see this list: The 20 Best Basketball Movies Ever Made

Media + Blogs

It is a great way to read some real-life stories and to know a lot of new information. You can read blogs about sports lifestyles, basketball championships, and training routines.

• International Basketball Federation (FIBA) – FIBA.basketball
• HoopsHype | NBA Rumors, News, Salaries
• RealGM – Basketball News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Depth Charts, Forums
• The official site of the NBA for the latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com
• NBA – National Basketball Association Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Standings, Rumors – ESPN
• Latest Basketball News & Headlines, Top Stories Today – The Straits Times
• SLAM: NBA News & Rumors, Kicks, College & High School, Hoops 24/7
• The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Hope this article will help you feel the game and write a great essay!

Try our free essay topic generator if you need more ideas.

Good luck, and feel free to contact us with any question👋

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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

• How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

Where to get your college essay edited for free, or by an expert.

You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought. 

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

• An agonizing defeat
• Forging bonds with teammates
• Overcoming adversity
• Overcoming an injury
• Refusing to quit
• Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique. 

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

• Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
• Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
• Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
• Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
• Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
• Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
• Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons. 

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative. 

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them. 

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. 

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more. 

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four. 

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.” 

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements. 

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet. 

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world. 

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

Have a draft of your college essay? We’re here to help you polish it. Students can participate in a free Peer Review, or they can sign up for a paid review by CollegeVine’s experts. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to start improving your essay and your chances of acceptance!

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Michael Jordan Essay Example

Name Michael Jordan is a household name in the United States. He is one of the most well-known and successful athletes that ever lived, but his story has not been told as it should. This essay will be about how he became such an icon and what made him so unique. It will also discuss some of his failures and their impact on him.

Essay Sample on Michael Jordan

• Thesis Statement of Michael Jordan Essay
• Introduction of Michael Jordan Essay
• Main Body of Michael Jordan Essay

Thesis Statement of Michael Jordan Essay Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and he set records that will never be broken. His example shows what an excellent athlete can achieve, which really says something about how great we think they are! Introduction of Michael Jordan Essay Michael Jordan needs no introduction in the world of basketball who becomes the witness to so matches organized by the National basketball association of America. The ace basketball player was born in 1963 in the American city that is New York. He plunged into the basketball career from 1984 and played successive matches again and again with bagging down a lot of success. We can have a sight at the number of awards that he has with him for the national and international championships of basketball. Here we are going to talk about the difficulties that are confronted by Michael Jordan as a part of the basketball team from the United States of America. Also, we will take a sight at the behaviour of the player after finding this massive glory in his career through basketball. Main Body of Michael Jordan Essay The early beginning of Michael Jordan was very much impressive in their career of basketball and he fetched so many gold medals for his game. These include the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles where he gets Gold or gold in Barcelona in 1992 for Men’s basketball. There are so many titles that are won by Jordan throughout his journey in the world of basketball like a gold medal in the FIBA Americas Championship and Pan America’s championship. But to avail, these titles were not that much easy for Michael Jordan and he had to put effort into gaining this honour through the sweat and blood. He got injured many times while doing practise for the game but still risen from the ashes to prepare again. Get Non-Plagiarized Custom Essay on Michael Jordan in USA Order Now Some people consider it destiny which gives so much success to Michael Jordan but it is extremely not good to suppress the fruit of someone hard work. Every destiny and luck work only when a person is working in that direction. If you are not taking a single step towards success and still you get succeed then we can consider it luck but Michael Jordan is not a case among them. We can openly see the reason for his success in the basketball game is only the hard work that leads him to this massive success in life and nothing else. Have a Look: Free Sample Essay Paper About Leaders for Scholars Throughout his life, Michael Jordan never showed the arrogance of his glorious victories over the other team and never ever pretends how eminent a basketball player he is. This shows him down to the earth nature which is very rare to see in the present time where celebrities are flying with the wings of arrogance every time. Buy Customized Essay on Michael Jordan At Cheapest Price Order Now Conclusion So we can reach a conclusion from the above descriptive essay on Michael Jordan who is a renowned person and athlete that it is not important to show your success in front of people. You can remain calm and composed and let your success makes all the noise in the public which is done by Michael Jordan. So many things can be noticed from the life of Jordan which is an inspiration to millions of people in the past and present and will be in future for sure.

A down to earth nature which is a rare thing to see in the high society people is founded in the basketball players and we should admire it to an utmost level. The entire motif of the essay is backed by the cause that every one of us must follow the footprints of Michael Jordan who is known for his valuable success in the game he liked and also remained calm throughout his career. It s very hard to find such legends in the world in modern times and we should really salute such people to the core. Hire USA Experts for Michael Jordan Essay Order Now

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Lebron james essay sample, example.

He was born in 1984, December 30, in Akron, Ohio. His mother, Gloria Marie James, was 16 years old at the time of his birth, while his father, Anthony McClelland, has a criminal record and was not present in his early life and now. As a single mother, Gloria, moved from apartment to apartment, ending up in Akron. She struggled to find a stable job. Eventually, worried about LeBron’s upbringing, she brought him to live with a local football coach named Frank Walker. LeBron was nine years old at the time, and the Walker introduced basketball to him (Sharp, Anne Wallace).

By the time he was in the fifth grade, LeBron was playing in an organized basketball team. Namely, he played for the Northwest Ohio Shooting Stars for the Amatuer Athletic Union. He made strong bonds with teammates Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. They had a lot of success at the local and national level while being on the team, and they decided they would all go to the same high school to remain as a team. Controversially, the four students chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, which primarily was a white school, whereas LeBron and his friends were black (Nichols, Rachel).

It was obvious that LeBron was a natural, as even as a freshman, he dominated the high school circuit. In his first year, he averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game. The St. Vincent–St. Mary High School’s team, The Fighting Irish, went undefeated in the season, 27–0. This made a new record for the first high school boys basketball team in Ohio to go undefeated in a season. After this first year, Lebron was a sensation, and went into his sophomore a star. He did not disappoint the fans, with 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. For some games, bigger venues had to be booked to accommodate the amount of people who wanted to watch the games of the team. NBA scouts were already taking a keen notice of LeBron. That year, the team went 26–1, and LeBron was named “Ohio Mr. Basketball” and was chosen for the USA Today All-USA First Team. He was the first high school sophomore to do so (NBA.com: Prospect Profile: LeBron James).

Before entering his junior year of high school, LeBron was getting a lot of press. He was featured in the American basketball magazine Slam on the cover, and was called, “the best high school basketball player in America right now” (“Ohio Player”). LeBron also became the first high school basketball underclassmen to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His junior year was spectacular as well, with an average of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. Again, he was crowned “Ohio Mr. Basketball” and selected for the USA Today All-USA First Team. In addition, he became the first junior ever to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year. However, his team did not do as well as in the previous two years, with a record of 23–4 (Sharp, Anne Wallace). This was a difficult time for him, as he was getting a lot of media attention and he did not know how to deal with it properly. He started to use marjuana as an anti-stress tool. To add to the anxiety, he wanted to enter the NBA draft early, but the NBA would not sway the rules for him, and he had to compete in his senior year in order to enter the NBA. Just a side note: LeBron also played football through his freshman to junior year, and also produced a good record (“LeBron’s Book Shows Struggle With Fame”).

His averages continued to make gains, with his senior year closing out at 1.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game. LeBron and the Fighting Irish played against many national teams, and some games were even televised as pay-per-view games due to LeBron’s fame. For a new record, Lebron was named “Ohio Mr. Basketball” and selected for the USA Today All-USA First Team for the third year in a row. Again, he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. He participated in many end-of-the-year competitions for high school and officially entered the NBA draft. There were some issues during his senior year, though, with run-ins with the law. His mother gave him a gift of a Hummer through a loan based on his viability as a future NBA player. This was against the rules of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, but he was eventually cleared of all wrongdoing. Furthermore, he accepted gifts from fans who wanted him to pose for pictures with them. He was suspended for two games for this, but made an amazing comeback in the game after the suspension, scoring a high school career-high of 52 points (Bolch, Ben).

In the 2003 NBA Draft, he was the first overall pick. His hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, chose him. And the decision seemed to be a solid one: in his first NBA game, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, which set a record for the most points scored by a prep-to-pro player (“Expectations for James More than Met”). The rest, you can say, is history.

LeBron James might be the best basketball player of all time, if not the most talented. Coming from a mother without much of a home to give, he found wings in the home of a football coach. He played football and basketball throughout his school days, but excelled most in basketball. By the end of his freshman year in high school, he was already a local and even national star. And by the time he was a sophomore, it was clear he was going to be in the NBA. Through some legal issues, problems at home, and media attention, LeBron found the strength and focus to play to the best of his ability and became an international sensation in sports history.

This is an example of an expository essay. Most of the time, this type of texts requires a lot of thorough research. And gathering all of the facts can take quite some time as well. Spending so much effort on just one essay may be frustrating. Think about looking for the best essay writing service reviews – they have some information that can help make the creative process much easier.

Works Cited

Sharp, Anne Wallace. LeBron James. Lucent Books, 2008.

Nichols, Rachel. “LeBron James Opens up on His New School, the Lakers and Life’s Challenges.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 30 July 2018, www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24194051/lebron-james-discusses-opening-public-school-akron-move-los-angeles-lakers-nba.

NBA.com: Prospect Profile: LeBron James, www.nba.com/draft2003/profiles/JamesLeBron.html.

“Ohio Player.” SLAM, 30 Dec. 2014, www.slamonline.com/nba/ohio-player-lebron-james-first/.

“LeBron’s Book Shows Struggle With Fame.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 24 July 2009, www.cbsnews.com/news/lebrons-book-shows-struggle-with-fame/.

Bolch, Ben. “James Is Too Much for Westchester.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2003, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-09-sp-hslebron9-story.html.

“Expectations for James More than Met.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 30 Oct. 2003, www.espn.com/nba/recap?id=231029023.

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Chapter 2: Literacies at work, for fun, and at school

2.7.3 Communication in basketball: More vital than thought to be (prospectus)

Anonymous English 102 Writer

For my research essay I plan on continuing with the topic of communication in basketball. I am choosing to write about this topic as I have always enjoyed not just watching sports but playing along with learning the different aspects of different sports. More specifically though, in this paper I will focus on basketball and the communication along with different literacy practices that are used throughout the sport of basketball. Such as posing questions like “What kind of literacy practices do basketball players use?” or “What kinds of research has been done on basketball communication?”

Academic fields that have a special interest in a topic such as this one is fields psychology, sports sciences, and coaching along with management. These fields are all something that has some sort of connection to that of sports including basketball. Coaching and management are the obvious one for being interested in this topic as this directly relates to them. Sports science has an interest in communication in basketball as sports science will relate to all different aspects of science through sport which could include the psychology of players or the effect communication can have on a game or team.

Communication in basketball while it may not seem like there is much relation between the topic and writing studies. There is it just is not presented up front or necessarily seen by people in the public. It is more behind the scenes where you will see the communication and writing come to life. The most communication that you will see as an outsider of basketball is during the game and that is between timeouts and during the game with the talking and communicating between players and coaches. However, outside of the games there is many other times where there is communication between players and coaches whether it be in film or in practices. Overall, without having communication in basketball between the players and coaches you are ultimately setting yourself and team up for disaster as it is one of the vital roles that is needed along with talent to ensure a successful team. Basketball communication is influential in other sports also as you often will find terms that originated or are mostly used in basketball will sometimes get used in other sports. An example of how this is used is the term “boxout” is often used or related towards the sport of basketball. However, that term of “boxout” is also used in football in relation to receivers “boxing out” the defender to keep them away from making a break on the football as easy.

To begin this paper, I will begin with an introduction that will introduce the topic of communication in basketball along with the reasoning for writing this paper. I will then introduce what academic fields have an interest in this topic which can be found in the paragraph above. The personal connection that I have to this topic will then be discussed next along with personal experiences that I have had while being a part of basketball and the communication aspect of it. Then I will end it with the thesis statement to help lead into my first body paragraph. Communication and literacy in basketball can play a large role in the success of a team.

To address my first research question of “What kind of literacy practices do basketball players use?” I will start off with the different types of communication that go on during a basketball game. In doing this I start off by using the source, “Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports” along with a source of “The Discourse of Basketball.” The last source that will be used is “BODILY COMMUNICATION IN BASKETBALL” which covers another area of communication in basketball and that is being able to read the opponents body language along with your own teammates body language. This will help describe the communication that goes on in a game and practices between players and coaches. To help with the understanding of discourses I will also use an article by James Gee called “What is Literacy.” With how communication is used in basketball now known I will use more sources to help give examples of different examples of communication used in basketball. The first source I will use is Jeff Haefner’s article “How to Develop Great Defensive Communication” along with Kyle Ohman’s “The Value of Communication in Basketball” and Christopher Riches “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders.” I will use different examples from these three articles on communication that gets used between players and coaches to help them throughout a game. Continuing on with this topic of communication between players I will explain the importance that having these good communication skills and words can help boost a team. In not only helping each other out but could ultimately lead to a win for your team. This will then lead me to my next research question.

My second research question is “What kinds of research has been done on basketball communication?” I will discuss how this research is able to show how it can help along with a team and the success they have. To help support this statement I will the source by Phillip Furley and Geoffrey Schweizer “I’m Pretty Sure that We Will Win! The Influence of Score-Related Nonverbal Behavior Changes on the Confidence in Winning a Basketball Game.” along with Michael J. Rifenburg’s article “The Literate Practices of a Division II Men’s Team.” These two articles will help show how communication has impacted their teams along with showing the research done for their articles. Moving onto the psychological factor that communication gives to a team which can be overlooked while assessing a team. I can use personal experience to help demonstrate how psychological teams can beat themselves even if they are better than the other team. The source of “Coaches’ Use of Positive Tactile Communication in Collegiate Basketball.” Along with the source of “Team Coordination in Basketball: Description of Cognitive Connections Among Teammates.” The use of communication in some sort of relation to the previous sources of being able to bring a group of players together even if they are not all in relation to the same ethnicity or culture. Robin Bell and Carlos F. Riol’s article “The Impact of Cross-Cultural Communication on Collective Efficacy in NCAA Basketball Teams.” Being able to have a team that can get along and understand each other is very important in having success as a team.

Following the second research question, I will start to summarize what was discussed between the first and second research question. Pulling out the main ideas from the two paragraphs and going into more detail while explaining them more as compared to the importance to communication in basketball. I will then combine this stuff into the conclusion paragraph of the paper where I restate the thesis and main ideas that I wanted to get across as discussed in the beginning. The main idea is just how important communication in basketball is between not only the success of a team but how well cohesively they are between each other. As communication will often bring teams closer together and help the chemistry between them.

Annotated Bibliography

Alexander, Danielle, et al. “Coaches’ Use of Positive Tactile Communication in Collegiate Basketball.”  International Sport Coaching Journal  (2021): 91-100

Through this article it was discussed on how using positive communication between the coach and players can increase the performance of players. In it would also talk about how bonds between teammates grows stronger with the more positive communication rather than the use of negative communication. By the end of the study the researchers had found that in fact positive communication does in fact strengthen the bond between players and coaches. Along with increased performance by the players through practices and games.

Bell, Robin and Carlos F. Riol. “The Impact of Cross-Cultural Communication on Collective Efficacy in NCAA Basketball Teams.”  International Journal of Cross Cultural Management  (2017): 175-195

From the article by Bell and Riol it describes how being able to communicate in basketball through different cultures of languages can benefit those in power of coaching. It would take into account different communication factors and how effective they were shown throughout practices and games between the coaches and players. Through the research it was determined that those teams that had “cross-cultural” factors strongest had the higher effectiveness rating compared to that of teams that did not have strong “cross-cultural” factors.

Bourbousson, Jerome, et al. “Team Coordination in Basketball: Description of Cognitive Connections Among Teammates.”  Journal of Applied Sport Psychology  (2010): 150-166.

Being discussed in this article is how teammates communicate with each other while playing in a game. It was determined that most players have one player that they prefer to communicate with while on the floor. They still all would communicate with one another while being on the floor just not as much as they did with others. It would also go on to show how the players communicated with coaches between hand signals or verbal communication.

Furley, Phillip and Geoffrey Schweizer. “I’m Pretty Sure that We Will Win! The Influence of Score-Related Nonverbal Behavior Changes on the Confidence in Winning a Basketball Game.”  Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology  (2014): 316-320.

In this article by Furley and Schweizer, they would take basketball players and have them watch film from another game while watching the “nonverbal behavior” that was being shown by the players. Through the research they would find that there were distinct differences in the way that players conducted themselves throughout the games on if they were winning or losing. Body language would be present in this article as the main focus of communication; however, it was more so part of demonstrating how you and your team are doing in the game.

Gee, James. “What is Literacy.”  Journal of Education  (1989): 18-25

Gee’s article implements communication through the article by bringing up discourses. There was primary discourse, secondary discourse, and dominant discourse. The primary discourse is communication that you learn from living within your household. Secondary discourse though was learning communication language outside of your household. Dominant discourse unlike the others is a language that is more for people with wealth and not everyone will learn how to speak and communicate with that language.

Haefner, Jeff. “How to Develop Great Defensive Communication.” 1 February 2010.  USA Basketball . 15 March 2021.

The article by Jeff Haefner, discusses on how teams can have effective communication in basketball along with different ways to improve the communication. Through effective communication Haefner described examples of communication words that are used while in a game such as saying “Screen” or “Skip”. While discussing how communication can be improved it details drills or different ways to incorporate it while practicing. Defense was described as the side of basketball that was most important in the game, while even though it is important on offense it is more important on defense.

Ohman, Kyle. “The Value of Communication in Basketball.” n.d.  Basketball HQ . 15 March 2021.

The article by Ohman is talking about the different aspects that are taken into account with the importance of having communication in basketball. It goes on discussing how and when the communication needs to take place whether it is making sure it is loud communication or having relevance in the communication. Communication in basketball creates different responsibilities for different players throughout a team and in doing so creates accountability for the players that are on the basketball court.

Raiola, Gaetano, et al. “BODILY COMMUNICATION IN BASKETBALL”  Sport Science 8  (2015):13-18.

In this article, the authors describe how “bodily communication” is used by players to each other and portrays there feeling during the game. They would run research of players throughout a game and the way they reacted to certain things or events. Also taken into account through the article was how players would read the oppositions body in order to anticipate what the opposition might be trying to do. Overall, for the article “bodily communication” can one form of communication for teams and players while it may be good or bad for yourself and team.

Riches, Christopher. “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders.” n.d.  Functional Basketball Coaching . 15 March 2021.

The article by Christopher Riches, “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders” narrows down communication in basketball strictly to how there is communication while playing defense in the half court. This article describes different examples of communication that is used between the players while playing defense. The use of these terms by the team ensure that everyone is on the same page while communicating on defense. So that way there are not as many mix ups between the teammates on what is going on.

Rifenburg, Michael J. “The Literate Practices of a Division II Men’s Basketball Team.”  Grassroots Writing Research Journal  (2016): 55-64

Rifenburg in his article studies how a Division II basketball team uses different literacy practices throughout the team along with how it affects the team and their performance. The article shows some of the different literacy practices that there are used in basketball such as writing and reading plays. It described how also communication was handled while playing games along with timeouts, when plays would be getting wrote down or discussing things that could be improved on in the game.

“The Discourse of Basketball.” 4 December 2015.  Medium.  15 March 2021.

The article, “The Discourse of Basketball” discusses the different discourses that are seen throughout basketball. It then demonstrates how communication in basketball is none of the three primary forms of discourse but rather it is non dominant secondary discourse. The article relates back throughout on the topic of James Paul Gee’s, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” which is where the article gets the idea of discourse. The idea of not only verbal communication being important in basketball but also non-verbal communication such as hand signals being important.

“Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports.” 17 April 2009.  Communication in the Sports World.  15 March 2021.

The article, “Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports” discusses the different ways that communication is used non verbally in sports. While breaking it down into different sports between football, baseball, and basketball and the communication that is used non verbally. For basketball, they use an example of hand signals between the coach and players on how that is a form of communication non verbally. It describes how also the effects of non verbal communication can lead to the success of a team.

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Anonymous English 102 Writer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Sports Argumentative Essay Topics (Simple Titles)

Sports allow us to stay physically healthy, learn new abilities, and improve our emotional well-being. It has enhanced social contact and is a kind of enjoyment for the majority of people. Sports Argumentative Essay Topics focus on persuading and supporting particular viewpoints on sports via academic writing. It could encompass all dimensions of sports, including social, economic, and political implications of various sports.

It’s just as vital to choose a good topic as it is to generate captivating material. You must impress your instructor with the greatest argumentative essay ideas if you want to do well in school.

Here are some excellent topic suggestions for you in a variety of disciplines. Select an appropriate topic for your essay and begin the writing process.

Sports Argumentative Essay Topics

• Are video game players considered real athletes?
• Can teenagers be kept out of trouble by engaging in sports?
• Should girls and boys be able to engage in the same sports?
• Should professional athletes be allowed to use non-steroidal alternatives to steroids?
• Is cheerleading a sport for individuals?
• Baseball isn’t nearly as exciting as it once was.
• Do colleges spend a significant amount of money on sports programs?
• Student-athletes should be compensated for their participation.
• Sports betting should be prohibited.
• Alcohol and cigarette advertisements should not be broadcast during sporting events.
• Is the media portraying female athletes as sexual objects?
• All athletes should be drug tested before they can compete.
• Women should not be allowed to participate in extreme sports.
• The effects of bodybuilding on a woman’s body as she gets older.
• Is chess a game or a sport? Explain it in depth.

Sports, as one of the most engaging leisure sectors, contribute significantly to a student’s well-being, both physically and in terms of essay writing. Popular sports have been included into the school curriculum as part of the co-curricular program. Students may keep intellectually attentive and physically healthy by participating in sports. They’ve also assisted students in obtaining scholarships for their education.

With the industry’s rapid expansion, a slew of contentious problems have arisen. Among them are how athletic activities are conducted and what constitutes a sport.

These scandals have sparked a slew of heated debates. Sport is an element of the extracurricular activities at the school. As a result, writing about sports argumentative essay themes is quite acceptable. Students struggle to choose what to write about due to the wide variety of sports available throughout the world. For the sports fan, the decision is simple.

There are several sports argumentative essay topics to choose from. However, narrowing down the options might be tough. A student’s finest topic ideas are determined by their interests. Here are some suggested sample topics for you to consider.

• Using performance enhancing drugs should lead to exclusion from professional sports.
• Cheerleading as a competitive sport
• Negative perceptions that college players are illiterate
• The amount of money spent on college games is too much.
• Is marching band a sport?
• Creating a school-wide sports culture
• Health issues associated with student-athletes’ use of energy drinks
• Student-athletes should be compensated for their participation in sports.
• Why cheerleading should be included in the Olympics
• Permitting fights during hokey games.
• Football’s dangers to players
• Baseball’s popularity has waned over time.
• Where should we draw the line when it comes to selling the name rights to sports teams?
• Coaches’ treatment of players is not controlled by rules that are rigorous enough.
• Athletes who utilize steroids should surrender their medals.
• Legalizing sports betting everywhere is bad.
• Home-schooled students should be permitted to participate in public school athletics.
• Athletes’ sponsors and chosen owners receive the majority of their earnings.
• Should video games be considered sports?
• Should violent sports including wrestling and boxing be prohibited?
• Is it appropriate for women to participate in powerlifting?
• Why Colleges should invest more on wellness programs than in athletics.
• College football players should be paid.
• Why Parents should not let their kids to participate in football activities.
• Being gay in sports gets greater media and spectator attention.
• It is offensive for sports teams to use Native American mascots and names.
• Advertisements for tobacco and alcohol should not be shown during sporting events.

Engaging in athletics may help you maintain your physical condition as well as your mental health. Even if it’s only for fun, everyone should engage in athletic activities. It adds to the body’s overall wellness in more ways than one. Many countries rely heavily on sports to boost their economies. People have gotten into a lot of fights because of sports. These are solid arguments to use as the basis for your writings.

It is suggested that you choose an essay topic that you are enthusiastic about. Here are 25 sports argumentative essay themes on which you could wish to write an essay and do research to discover persuasive arguments.

Topics for Women in Sports

The media plays a vital role in ensuring that genders are represented equally in sports news. Do you agree with me?

• Should sports teams, referees, and coaches be split into gender groups?
• Do you think it’s fair and reasonable to split girls and males?
• Is it true that male sports have more supporters than female sports?
• Female athletes are more motivated by personal achievement than by personal progress.
• Should female athletes be given more training than male athletes?
• Do you feel that sports regulations should be changed to eliminate gender bias?
• Should sports be divided into categories based on gender?
• Should transgender people be permitted to play sports?

Argumentative Topics in Winter Sports

Winter sports refer to those games that take place on snow or ice. Skiing, ice skating, and sledding are the most popular of these activities. Traditionally, such activities have only existed in frigid climates with temperatures below freezing throughout the winter. Artificial snow and ice, on the other hand, allow events to be staged in practically any weather situation.

If you enjoy winter sports and wanted to write about them, consider the following essay topics:

• Why is The Winter Dew Tour bringing more snowboarding visitors to the United States?
• Why has the future of winter sports been jeopardized? Is climate change to blame for this?
• Is cross-country skiing the safest sport to participate in?
• Are the figure skating judges overbearing to the competitors?
• Why do hockey fans embrace the game’s brutality and combat?
• Is it feasible to do springboard jumps when there is a lot of snow?
• Why do many people believe North Korea has copied the Pyongyang Winter Olympics show?
• Why are winter clothing businesses thriving and expanding despite the crisis?
• What are the dangers of artificial snow in winter sports?
• Why we should not take Bobsleigh seriously.

Here are more Great Topic Ideas for Your Argumentative Essay.

• Basketball is currently losing popularity.
• Parents should not allow their children to play football because of traumatic events.
• Students who win sporting events should be compensated by universities.
• Cheerleading cannot be categorized as a sport.
• Coaches should check to see whether their players are using anabolic steroids.
• All people have the legal right to wager on sports online.
• Advertisements that encourage unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking are incompatible with sporting activities.
• Why Dog and other animal sports competitions should be banned in all places.
• Why Parents should not allow their children to participate in violent activities such as boxing.
• Powerlifting should only be a males-only sports.
• It is incorrect to classify video gaming as a sport.
• Sports may have both good and bad impacts on a person’s health.
• In any sport, teamwork is essential for success.
• All American institutions should require their students to play soccer.
• What are the steps to becoming a university’s top sports team?
• Soccer’s worldwide appeal can be attributed to a variety of factors.
• Is it appropriate for a coach to lose his cool in the middle of a game?
• Do you think of chess as a full-fledged sport similar to football or basketball?
• Is there any gender prejudice in sports?
• How important is the media in sporting events?
• Is there a method to avoid football injuries?
• Does stress affect all athletes, and if so, how can it be avoided?
• It is difficult to have a successful athletic career and a personal life at the same time.
• Professional sports are more than a pastime; they are a way of life.
• Professional athletes have a variety of chronic health issues.

There may be only a few of the argumentative essay topics to consider depending on your subject area. Sports is among the most controversial essay subjects, and it is ideally suited to the argumentative essay type. Choose a topic that interests you and write a well-structured essay that demonstrates why your point of view is correct. You can let the reader know of all possible viewpoints, offer “for” and “against” reasons for each, and end the essay such that no one is left in doubt about your stance.

I hope the list of ideas above will assist you in coming up with sports debate themes. Choose one of the five topics from the list that you are most familiar with. Remember that the issue should be well-researched so that you can back up your claim with proof. You may always resort to pros who have written hundreds of argumentative essays if you don’t have enough time or writing abilities. As a result, forget about tension and simply let your thoughts flow!

Argumentative Sports Essay Outline

1. introduction for sports essay.

As expected, the introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. As a result, it must grab the audience’s interest and attention.

In addition, the beginning should excite the reader to read the body of the essay.

An introduction has two essential components.

1. General claim

2. Thesis statement

General claim

The broad statement’s primary goal is to provide background information about the issue to the reader.  This material should pique the reader’s curiosity in the subject.

A general statement MUST begin with a general overview of the topic and progress to a specific statement of the primary concept.

The thesis statement is the fundamentally the central idea of an essay. Its   purpose is to introduce the essay’s core concept.

Oftentimes, the thesis is written in the last the introduction.

Sample Topic: Basketball and Football are similar in many ways

General statement would look like something below:

For several millennia, sports have been played all throughout the world. There are several sports to choose from. Some of them are performed solo, while others are played in groups. Furthermore, some sports, such as basketball and football, are quite popular and give several benefits to anybody who participates in them.

Here is what to watch!

The explanation progresses from broad to specific issues about the topic.

Sentences need to be logically connected. This section prepares the reader for the main topic.

Thesis statement

The statement below could be your thesis statement:

Basketball and football share a lot of similarities, but they also have a lot of differences in other multiple ways.

The statement is specific because it shows a position about the topic. This will then guide the body paragraphs of the essay.

3. Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs can be as long as your essay prompt requires. If your essay is longer than 850 words, it will need more than 5 paragraphs.

4. Conclusion

The conclusion of an argumentative sports essay is the last paragraph. It will restate the thesis, list the supporting statements, and add a general personal view. Concluding an argumentative essay should leave the reader with a clear position the writer has taken regarding the topic.

25 Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

2. Nature vs Nurture

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Training load and match-play demands in basketball based on competition level: A systematic review

Adam J. Petway

1 Philadelphia 76ers Athlete Care Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Tomás T. Freitas

2 UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Julio Calleja-González

3 Laboratory for Sport Performance Analysis, University of Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

Daniel Medina Leal

Pedro e. alcaraz.

4 Faculty of Sport Sciences, UCAM, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the manuscript and Supporting Information files.

Basketball is a court-based team-sport that requires a broad array of demands (physiological, mechanical, technical, tactical) in training and competition which makes it important for practitioners to understand the stress imposed on the basketball player during practice and match-play. Therefore, the main aim of the present systematic review is to investigate the training and match-play demands of basketball in elite, sub-elite, and youth competition. A search of five electronic databases (PubMed, SportDiscus, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Cochrane) was conducted until December 20 th , 2019. Articles were included if the study: (i) was published in English; (ii) contained internal or external load variables from basketball training and/or competition; and (iii) reported physiological or metabolic demands of competition or practice. Additionally, studies were classified according to the type of study participants into elite (20), sub-elite (9), and youth (6). A total of 35 articles were included in the systematic review. Results indicate that higher-level players seem to be more efficient while moving on-court. When compared to sub-elite and youth, elite players cover less distance at lower average velocities and with lower maximal and average heart rate during competition. However, elite-level players have a greater bandwidth to express higher velocity movements. From the present systematic review, it seems that additional investigation on this topic is warranted before a “clear picture” can be drawn concerning the acceleration and deceleration demands of training and competition. It is necessary to accurately and systematically assess competition demands to provide appropriate training strategies that resemble match-play.

1. Introduction

Basketball is a court-based team sport that requires proficiency in a vast array of physical parameters and motor abilities (i.e., speed, strength, and endurance) to achieve success from both a technical and tactical standpoint [ 1 ]. The ability to accelerate, decelerate, change direction, jump, and shuffle are paramount for on-court success, due to the intermittent high-intensity nature of most actions and basketball-specific movements [ 2 , 3 ] as well as the demands of the sporting activity [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Importantly, in competition settings, the aforementioned abilities must be expressed in an efficient and economical manner over the course of four quarters with contributions from both aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways [ 1 ]. In this context, the density of game-related activity (determined by specific work-to-rest ratios) is dictated by action intensity and by the moment of the game [ 7 ]. This includes medium- to high-intensity actions that last 15 seconds (s) and high- to maximal-intensity actions that last up to 2–5 s [ 8 , 9 ]. It is for this reason that practitioners must have a precise overview of match-play demands as well as the load elicited during training [ 4 , 5 , 2 , 6 , 10 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. In fact, over the past years, there have been several studies documenting match-play demands in basketball [ 4 , 5 , 2 , 6 , 10 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 7 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 9 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Particularly, a recent review by Stojanovic et al. [ 29 ] analyzed the activity demands and physiological responses obtained during basketball competition and found that playing period, playing position, level, geographical location and sex greatly influenced the stress experienced by basketball players. In their article Stojanovic et al. [ 29 ] examined heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration, total distance, and movement patterns of male and female basketball competitions based on time-motion analysis. However, while the study clearly described the competition characteristics, the authors did not present data on the acceleration/deceleration requirements of the game nor did they examine the demands of training versus match-play. It is for these reasons that the current systematic review is justified.

It is important to note that amongst the several methods used to quantify the demands of play, and regarding internal load quantifications, HR [ 6 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 14 , 20 ] and blood lactate concentration [ 4 , 13 , 14 , 16 , 9 , 30 ] were the most frequently used. In fact, internal variables such as average and maximal HR can be extracted to quantify loading parameters during match-play [ 11 , 12 , 21 , 30 , 26 ]. Concerning external load, methods such as accelerometry and the use of positional tracking cameras [ 4 , 2 , 13 , 16 , 7 , 17 , 31 ] are amongst the most common. Within this framework, total or high-intensity accelerations and decelerations, total distance traveled, and top speed reached were the widely used variables to assign a value to the mechanical load imposed. In addition, time-motion analysis [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 22 , 9 , 26 , 32 ] measuring time and frequency of movements such as “standing”; “jogging”; “running”; “sprinting”; and “jumping” during competition can be found in the literature. Despite match-play demands based on time-motion analysis having been found to present a high level of variability according to playing position, skill level and training age [ 29 ], no robust evidence exists regarding the use of accelerometry. Therefore, a systematic analysis of both approaches to match demands quantification is warranted. Collectively, a better understanding of this ‘real-time’ feedback can give relevant and useful information concerning normative group standards, as well as relative to the individual athlete. Additionally, having a clear “picture” of both internal and external loading parameters can provide a better insight into global stress that the players deal with during training and competition [ 2 , 10 , 26 ].

In a related topic, tracking training load in this team-sport may be of extreme importance to ensure that the players are physically prepared for competition demands from a fitness standpoint, in order to avoid acute spikes in load from a fatigue and injury prevention perspective [ 3 , 11 , 7 , 17 ] and to provide individualized recovery strategies [ 33 , 34 ]. With this in mind, a copious amount of research has also been focused on investigating and describing basketball training load parameters over recent years [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 21 , 42 , 24 , 43 , 44 ]. As previously mentioned for competition, accelerometry is becoming an increasingly popular means of quantifying load during training [ 36 , 38 , 40 , 21 ]; however, no conclusive data has been reported throughout the different studies. For this reason, a more in-depth and systematic analysis of the literature is warranted. Regarding internal load, HR and session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) (i.e., the subjective feedback from the player on a 1–10 scale multiplied by duration of training) have been shown to be a cost-effective way of providing valuable information widely used by coaches and sport scientists [ 35 , 37 , 41 ]. Remarkably, an important variability has been reported within basketball training loads based on quantification means of training load, position, perceived exertion, skill level, and training age [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 ], once again identifying the need for a systematic review of the published data.

The current state of the literature is not conclusive regarding the typical training load experienced by basketball players of different competition levels given that only match-play demands and physiological responses during competition have been previously described [ 29 ]. To our knowledge, no previous investigation has focused on systematically reviewing the literature to identify precise loads during training versus match-play whilst clearly defining different levels of competition. As such, there is an important gap in the available research that does not allow concluding whether basketball training is closely mimicking game demands, hence, adequately preparing players for the stress imposed by competition. Moreover, new technologies that allow quantifying the acceleration/deceleration demands in basketball training and competition have emerged, but no current literature review has addressed this topic. Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review is to analyze the evidence related to the training load and match-play demands of basketball across different levels of competition.

2. Materials and methods

2.1 study design.

The present study is a systematic review focused on training load and match-play demands at different levels of competition in basketball. The review was not registered prior to initiation, was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) statement [ 45 ] and did not require Institutional Review Board approval.

2.2 Search strategy

A structured search was carried out in PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, SportDiscus and Cochrane databases, all high quality databases which guarantees strong bibliographic support. The electronic database search for the related articles considered all publications prior to December 20 th, 2019. The following key words were used to conduct the search “basketball”, “training load”, “accelerometry”, “load monitoring”, “internal load”, “total distance”, “average distance”, “top speed”, “average speed”, “metabolic”, “heart rate”, “competition demands”, “training demands”, “training”, and “rate of perceived exertion”. In addition, the key word “basketball” was present in each search to ensure that the relevant information was catered to articles involving only this sport. The reference sections of all identified articles were also examined (by applying the “snowball methods” strategy [ 40 ]). Once the electronic search was conducted, relevant studies were identified and organized in a systematic fashion.

All titles and abstracts from the search were cross-referenced to identify duplicates and any potential missing studies, and then screened for a subsequent full-text review. The search for published studies was independently performed by two authors (AP and TTF) and disagreements were resolved through discussion.

2.3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

This review included cross-sectional and longitudinal studies considering healthy, professional or junior, male basketball players. Study participants were categorized into three groups: elite, sub-elite, and youth. The elite basketball group was defined as teams participating in the NBA, NBA G-League, NCAA Division I, Euro League, FIBA International Competition, ACB, Top Divisions in Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia. Sub-elite was defined as professional or semi-professional that did not meet the elite criteria but were over 19 years old. Youth was considered for studies in which the participants were all 19 years of age or younger. Studies were included in the present review if they met the following criteria: (i) the study was published in English; (ii) the study included internal or external load variables from basketball training and/or competition; and (iii) the study reported physiological or metabolic demands of competition or practice.

Studies were excluded if (i) the study participants were wheelchair basketball players; (ii) the study participants were female; (iii) the data being collected did not describe training load or competition demands; and (iv) the study consisted on a review or a conference proceeding.

2.4 Study selection

The initial search was conducted by one researcher (AP). After the removal of duplicates, an intensive review of all of the titles and abstracts obtained were conducted. Following the first screening process, the full-version of the remaining articles was read. Then, on a blind, independent fashion, two reviewers excluded studies not related to the review’s topics and determined the studies for inclusion (AP and TTF), according to the criteria previously established. If no agreement was obtained, a third party intervened and settled the dispute. Moreover, PEDro scale ( Fig 1 ) was used to evaluate whether the selected randomized controlled trials were scientifically sound (9–10 = excellent, 6–8 = good, 4–5 = fair, and <4 = poor) [ 46 ]. Papers with poor PEDro score were excluded. Final outcomes of the interventions were extracted independently by two authors (AP and TTF) using a customized spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel 2016, USA). Disagreements were resolved through discussion until a consensus was achieved.

3. Search results

As several databases were scrutinized, the initial database search yielded 18,805 citations. After duplicate removal, 3,282 abstracts and titles were left for review. Upon screening, 165 articles met the inclusion criteria for full-text review. Of the 165 articles reviewed, 35 met the criteria for the systematic review. Of the 35 articles that met the criteria, 12 had participants for elite competition demands [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 7 , 9 , 30 , 32 ], 16 articles had participants for elite training load [ 2 , 10 , 3 , 12 , 15 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 20 , 42 , 25 , 27 , 43 , 47 ], 6 for sub-elite competition demands [ 4 , 11 , 13 , 21 , 26 , 32 ], 3 for sub-elite training load [ 23 , 44 , 48 ], 5 for youth competition demands [ 11 , 18 , 22 , 9 , 28 ] and 1 for youth training load [ 24 ]. A full view of the search and selection process can be found in the PRISMA flow diagram [ 45 ] in Fig 2 .

4. Competition demands

4.1 internal competition load.

Internal load outcomes pertaining to competition demands can be found in Table 1 . The variables displayed in the different studies consisted of HR and blood lactate concentration.

Heart Rate (HR) expressed in Beats Per Minute (BPM). Blood Lactate Concentrate express in millimoles per liter mmol/L. Q1 is 1 st quarter, Q2 is 2 nd quarter, Q3 is 3 rd quarter, and Q4 is 4 th quarter of match-play.

4.1.1 Heart rate

Heart Rate (HR) during competition ( Table 1 ) was organized into two categories according to the classification used in the included studies: maximal (HR max ) and average HR (HR ave ). The values of HR max during elite level competition ranged from 187 to 198 beats per minute (BPM) with a mean of 190 BPM [ 11 , 12 , 30 ]. With regards to sub-elite competition, values ranged from 192 to 195 BPM with a mean of 194 BPM [ 11 , 21 , 26 ]. In addition, in youth competition, the HR max held a mean of 199 BPM [ 11 , 18 ]. The data extracted indicated that elite competitors presented lower HR max values during competition, which can be interpreted as an indicator of elite players having a higher overall level of fitness and a more efficient work rate compared to sub-elite and youth players [ 11 ]. Interestingly, according to the results retrieved from the literature, the same pattern occurred with the HR ave. During elite level competition the value ranged from 150 to 175 BPM [ 11 , 12 , 30 ], in sub-elite competition ranged from 168 to 169 BMP [ 11 , 21 ] and in youth competition the HR ave ranged from 167 to 172 BPM [ 11 , 18 ].

4.1.2 Blood lactate concentration

Blood lactate concentration was collected as an internal measurement during select studies of elite level competition. The samples for mean blood lactate post-competition held an average of 5.1 ± 1.3 mmol/L [ 18 , 21 , 9 ] with a range of 4.2 to 5.7 ± 1.2. Abdelkrim et al. [ 9 ] observed a peak of 6.2 ± 1.3 in the fourth quarter for the Tunisian National Team. The fourth quarter peak is likely due to the build-up of blood metabolites and catabolic hormones based on the depletion of muscle glycogen later in competition. The ability to buffer these mechanisms internally may have had a direct impact on mechanical outputs during competition [ 30 ] as internal load parameters leading to fatigue have been reported to negatively affect whole-body work rate, physical and technical performance, and even decision making in team-sports [ 49 ]. It is for such a reason that there is a need for future investigation of blood metabolite accumulation during competition and the effects it has on high-speed movement.

4.2 External competition load

Table 2 displays the external load variables retrieved from the different studies. Total distance, acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) efforts during basketball competition, average and top speed reached, and time motion analysis movement frequency and duration were the outcomes extracted.

(m·s) = meters per second. (km·h) = kilometers per hour PG- Point Guard, SG-Shooting Guard, SF- Small Forward, C- Center. Acc. = accelerations. Dec. = decelerations. tACC = total accelerations. hACC = high-intensity accelerations. tDEC = total decelerations. hDEC = high-intensity decertations. #/min = number per minute. Q1 = 1 st Quarter. Q2 = 2 nd Quarter. Q3 = 3 rd Quarter. Q4 = 4 th Quarter.

4.2.1 Total distance

In elite competition, distance traveled ranged from 1,991 to 6,310 m [ 13 , 16 , 9 ]. The total distance covered during sub-elite competition ranged from 3,722 to 6,208 m [ 48 , 13 ]. Finally, considering youth competition, only one study tracked the distance traveled during competition and reported a value of 7,558 m [ 9 ]. Remarkably, there was a discrepancy in distance covered between elite, sub-elite, and youth athletes. Upon review, the elite level basketball athletes covered, on average, less distance (4,369 m) [ 4 , 13 , 16 , 7 ], compared to sub-elite (5,377 m) [ 4 , 13 , 48 ] and youth players (7,558 m) [ 9 ]. This seemingly paradoxical finding suggests that the total distance covered may be a poor indicator of in-game performance. In fact, one could infer that the observed phenomenon is a product of technical mastery relative to the demands of competition, as well as elite level players having a higher level of economy in relation to the tactical aspects of basketball [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]. Based on the present results and as it occurs in other team-sports [ 50 ], the key aspect here appears to be not “ how much ” distance a player covers (i.e., quantity) but “ how ” and at “ what intensity ” that distance is covered (i.e., quality). In fact, in support of the previous, Sampaio et al., [ 5 ] suggested that better players tend to make fewer mistakes when deciding when and where to run which may result in shorter paths to reach their destination. This is more than likely due to a high degree of technical and tactical discipline based on training age and experience, more hours of professional supervised practices, and higher level of coaching.

4.2.2 Accelerations and decelerations

Accelerometry in basketball is tracked via inertial units containing accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer sensors [ 15 , 7 , 27 ]. These sensors allowed inertial movement analysis by recording accelerations, decelerations, jumps, and changes of direction (COD). As it can be seen in Table 2 , when considering the accelerometry data collected during elite level competition, most research breaks it down into two important categories: accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC) [ 15 , 7 , 27 , 28 ]. Additionally, two sub-sections of these categories can be found: total (T), and high-intensity (HI) [ 15 , 27 ]. For the purpose of this review, total accelerations (ACC T ) were classified as total forward acceleration, whereas high-intensity accelerations (ACC HI ) were classified as the total forward acceleration within the high band (>3.5 m·s -2 ) [ 15 ], and (>3 m·s -2 ) [ 27 ]. Total decelerations (DEC T ) consisted of the total number of decelerations and high-intensity decelerations (DEC HI ) were classified as total deceleration within the high band (>-3.5 m·s -2 ), and (>-3 m·s -2 ) [ 27 ].

During elite level match-play, the ACC T ranged from 43 to 145, and the total number of ACC HI ranged from 1 to 15 per match. Remarkably, a substantial variability can be found within the included studies, considering the ACC values. This occurrence makes it difficult to draw precise conclusions regarding the ACC demands of elite basketball competition. In fact, a similar pattern can be observed for DEC T as values ranging from 24 to 95 per match were found. Regarding the total number of DEC HI per match, data extracted ranged from 4 to 40. It seems evident that additional investigations on this topic are warranted before a “clear picture” can be drawn concerning the ACC and DEC demands. Moreover, researchers and sports scientists are encouraged to follow a standardized approach to ACC and DEC quantifications (e.g., determining the same HI bands) so that comparisons between studies and data sets can be conducted. None of the sub-elite or youth teams in the included studies collected accelerometry data during competition.

4.2.3 Average and top speed

Studies evaluating NBA competition [ 5 , 7 ] recorded average speed in miles per hour (mph), but values were converted by the authors to the global unit measurement of meters per second (m·s -1 ). The speed recorded by using spatial tracking cameras (Sport VU ® ; Chicago, USA) can be seen in Table 2 . Sport VU ® cameras were installed in all 30 NBA arenas from the 2012–2013 season until the 2016–2017 season and McLean et al. [ 51 ] collected data from the entire 82 games plus the playoffs. This technology uses computer vision systems designed with algorithms to measure player positions at a sampling rate of 25 frames per second [ 5 ]. Top speed was also measured by Puente [ 26 ] via SPI PRO X (GPSports ® , Australia) and Abdelkrim et al. [ 16 ], as well as Vázquez-Guerrero et al.[ 28 ] via WIMU PRO Local Positioning System (Realtrack System, Almeria, Spain).

Similar to accelerometry data, positional tracking cameras have only been used to track match demands in elite level basketball, most likely due to the financial limitations on the sub-elite and youth levels. Importantly, when examining normative data points related to movements associated with basketball, it seems that the best performers on an elite level expressed certain performance characteristics. For example, Sampaio et al. [ 5 ], when examining All-Star Players versus Non-All-Star players in the NBA, found that there was a significant difference in average speed on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. All-Star players had an average speed of 4.38 ± 0.36 mph (2.0 ± 0.2 m·s -1 ) offensively and 3.65 ± 0.16 mph (1.6 ± 0.1 m·s -1 ) defensively, whereas Non-All-Star players had an average speed of 4.50 ± 0.28 mph (2.0 ± 0.1 m·s -1 ) offensively and 3.86 ± 0.20 mph (1.7±0.1 m·s -1 ) defensively. Within the most prestigious level of basketball, the evidence suggests that the most efficient players tend to exert the least amount of energy to achieve the most productive results [ 5 , 7 ]. With regards to top speed, there was also variability among levels. Puente et al. [ 26 ] showed that the average top speed in sub-elite Spanish basketball competition was 6.2 m·s -1 , which is lower than the 8.09 m·s -1 average top speed by NBA players identified in the work of Caparrós et al. [ 7 ]. However, the former study [ 26 ] only analyzed one single sub-elite game and, therefore, caution is warranted when directly comparing the results. For this reason, future research is needed in this area. Taken together, the distance and speed data extracted from the literature hint that higher level basketball players seem to cover less distance but achieve greater top speeds during competition, which is in line with what has been reported in other team sports [ 52 , 50 ].

4.2.4 Time motion analysis

Time motion analysis has been widely used to track frequency and duration of movements during competition [ 4 , 18 , 26 , 22 , 14 , 9 , 32 ]. Movements such as stand/walk, jog, run, sprint, and jump are commonly recorded among different levels of competition as well as different positions. Within this research, and based on the published literature, stand/walk was defined as movements performed at a velocity of 0–1 m·s -1 [ 1 , 14 , 18 , 22 , 32 ] and jogging was defined as intensities greater than walking but without urgency performed at 1.1–3.0 m·s -1 [ 4 , 18 , 26 , 9 ]. Running was defined as sagittal plane movement at a greater intensity than jogging and with a moderate degree of urgency at 3.1–7.0 m·s -1 [ 18 , 22 , 33 ]. Finally, sprinting was defined as forward movements characterized as effort close to maximum >7.0 m·s -1 [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 9 , 26 , 32 ].

Ferioli et al. [ 32 ] and Scanlan et al. [ 4 ] examined time motion analysis among elite and sub-elite populations. Upon review, Ferioli et al. [ 32 ] found that there was a stark difference between time spent and frequency in high-speed running and sprinting versus jogging in the first division compared to the second division. The 1 st Italian Division had frequency of exposures to high-intensity actions (HIA) of 107 ± 26, compared to an average of 78 ± 35 HIA in the second division. Scanlan et al. [ 4 ] found that elite backcourt (EBC) and elite frontcourt (EFC) had a much higher frequency of running compared to sub-elite backcourt (SEBC) and sub-elite front court (SEFC) during match-play. EBC had a mean frequency of 504 ± 38 and EFC had a mean frequency of 513 ± 26 of exposures to running during competition. These figures for running during competition are much higher than the SEBC (321 ± 75) and SEFC (352 ± 25), respectively. Again, these results would suggest that top-level basketball players spend more time at high-intensity activities compared to their sub-elite counterparts. In addition, elite players tend to display greater control over the most appropriate time and situations to express high-intensity actions relative to the total distance covered whilst on the court.

Abdelkrim et al. [ 18 ] and Puente et al. [ 26 ] examined the positional differences using time motion variables during competition. Both studies showed that guards spend more time running compared to forwards and centers. Abdelkrim et al. [ 18 ] found that guards had a greater frequency of running during competition (103 ± 11), compared to forwards (88 ± 5) and centers (101 ± 19). Puente et al. [ 26 ] found that guards run a longer distance of 3.1 ± 1.1 (m.min -1 ) compared to forwards (2.2 ± 1.9) and centers (1.6 ± 1.6). This information, seen in Table 3 , is useful and may have important implications when prescribing high-intensity running relative to each position in basketball. Based on these results, individual conditioning programs should be adapted to the specific physical requirements of guards, forwards, and centers, keeping in mind that the latter have been found to have a lower proportion of high-intensity running, acceleration, decelerations, and COD.

EBC = elite back-court. EFC = elite front-court. SEBC = sub-elite back-court. SEFC = sub-elite front-court. REC = recovery. LIA = low-intensity activity. MIA = medium-intensity activity. HIA = high-intensity activity. m*min = meters per minute.

5. Training demands

5.1 internal training demands.

Internal Training Load, displayed in Table 4 , considered the following variables: s-RPE, Weekly Training Load, HR max , HR ave , % HR max , and Training Impulse (TRIMP).

s-RPE = session rate of perceived exertion. (AU) = arbitrary units. 5v5 = 5 players versus 5 players. 4v4 = 4 players versus 4 players. 3v3 = 3 players versus 3 players. 2v2 = 2 players versus 2 players.

5.1.1 Heart rate

Heart rate in training was used to quantify the cardiovascular demands imposed on the athletes [ 3 , 12 , 35 , 20 , 23 , 24 ]. Torres-Ronda et al. [ 12 ] examined HR max , HR ave , and %HR max in 5vs5, 4vs4, 3vs3, 2vs2, and 1vs1 games and found the 1vs1 situations had elicited the largest physiological response. Gocentas et al. [ 23 ] compared the HR max between guards and forwards in different training sessions and found that on average guards had a higher HR response (194 ± 14) than forwards (190 ± 12.7). More investigation is needed in the future as it relates to the HR demands of varying training programs.

5.1.2 Session RPE and total weekly training load

A fairly common strategy to monitor players’ load is to track the total weekly load via the sRPE (RPE multiplied by session duration), collected throughout the training week. In basketball, this method has been widely used to assess Training Load [ 35 , 37 , 41 ] and has been shown to provide good insight on the energy cost of different movement patterns, particularly when coupled with external load data [ 2 , 10 , 39 ]. Briefly, it involves players reporting their RPE score using the Borg 10-point scale thirty minutes after the completion of each training session, multiplying the value by the number of minutes of the session [ 41 ] and then calculating the sum of the values of each training session during the week.

As noted in Table 4 , the Total Weekly Training Loads in the studies analyzed ranged from 2255 to 5058 AU in elite level teams [ 35 , 37 , 41 ]. The large range observed is likely due to the high variability on the number of training sessions or practice duration based on the loads provided by the technical staff. Since sRPE is obtained by multiplying RPE by session duration, the accumulative amount of weekly training load is dependent on the duration of each training session, which can vary based on style of play, level of competition, or moment of the season [ 36 , 42 , 44 ]. In addition, Svilar et al. [ 2 ] found that sRPE showed a very strong correlation with DEC T and COD T . According to the authors, the rapid eccentric actions involved in decelerations, cuts, and COD may explain the abovementioned relationship [ 1 , 2 ]. Nevertheless, the mechanical stress imposed on the athletes during these movements, as well as the effects of eccentric training in basketball athletes, are areas that need additional investigation in upcoming studies. A key aspect to consider when utilizing this method to monitor training loads and demands is that in the examination of coach and player perception of recovery and exertion, research has shown that coaches tend to overestimate recovery when compared to the athletes’ perception [ 17 ]. Therefore, when designing appropriate training sessions, a combination of internal and external load variables is recommended [ 2 , 10 , 39 ].

5.2 External training load

Regarding External Training Load ( Table 5 ), the variables retrieved from the studies were the number of ACC, DEC, and COD, tracked with inertial units through accelerometry.

hACC = high-intensity acceleration. hDEC = high-intensity deceleration. tACC = total acceleration. tDEC = total deceleration. tCOD = total change of directions. hCOD = high-intensity change of directions. RSG- regular stoppage games. NSG- non-stoppage games.

5.2.1 Accelerations and decelerations

In elite level basketball, ACC T in training varied from 16.9 to 59.5 [ 2 , 10 , 15 , 26 , 47 ]. The ACC HI in elite training, classified as the total forward acceleration within the high band (>3.5 m·s -2 ), ranged from 1.9 to 7.2 with a mean of 5.56 per training session. The DEC T in elite basketball training ranged from 16.4 to 93.2 with a mean of 64.6 per training session whereas the DEC HI (n), which were classified as the total number of decelerations within the high band (>-3.5 m·s -2 ), ranged from 1.6 to 12. When interpreting this data, it is important to acknowledge that ACC T and DEC T are qualified measures to quantify training volume, whereas ACC HI and DEC HI are quality measures of training intensity [ 2 , 10 , 15 , 43 ].

Remarkably, the number of ACC T, ACC HI, DEC T, and DEC HI reported during training were considerably lower than the data found in competition settings [ 15 , 7 , 27 ]. The total volume of ACC in competition was 81 per match on average, as opposed to a mean of 38 accelerations per training session [ 36 , 40 , 43 , 47 ]. The total number of ACC HI was moderately less in training (5.6) opposed to (7.3) during match-play. This was also the case with DEC. DEC T in competition was 73.1 and the DEC HI 16.4, which is slightly greater than the 64.6 (DEC T ) and 7.4 (DEC HI ) in elite level training. The present data supports the notion that training, and match demands seem to be considerably different, at least considering the number of ACC and DEC [ 15 ]. Matching the volume and intensity of competition via training is important during certain times of the preparatory and competitive season to adequately prepare the athletes for competition. As a consequence, the data reported herein may be extremely pertinent for practitioners in regard to training reflecting the demands of match-playing, as well as modulating training load based on outputs of these variables during competition. In this context, to try and achieve similar or even greater ACC demands in training with respect to match-play, manipulating constraints such as the number of players, the duration of drills or court dimension may be a potential strategy [ 12 , 15 , 47 ]. Within this framework, Schelling and Torres [ 47 ] found that ACC load in 3vs3 and 5vs5 full court scrimmage drills was greater than 2vs2 and 4vs4 full court scrimmage drills, indeed suggesting that manipulating training variables may greatly affect the total load imposed to the players.

A study by Svilar et al. [ 10 ] reported interpositional differences in training load accelerometry data among guards, forwards, and centers. Interestingly, the authors examined load parameters according to positional on-court roles and found that centers had a higher volume of ACC T (59.5 ± 27.1) and ACC HI (7.2 ± 4.8) opposed to forwards (42 ± 21.5, 5.8 ± 4.3, respectively) and guards (43.5 ± 17.5, 6.4 ± 4.4, respectively). Also, noteworthy, forwards were shown to have a high volume of DEC T (93.2 ± 35.0) and DEC HI (12.7 ± 8.3) compared to guards (84.7 ± 30.1, 11.9 ± 5.7) and centers (88.5 ± 30.3, 6.8 ± 4). It appears that the profiles of activity are quite different amongst positions and further research is necessary to better understand each individual profile. Still, the amount of exposures to cuts, COD, or screening actions, as well as the typical movement area of each positional role may conceivably explain such findings [ 6 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 27 , 53 ].

Despite the aforementioned, one must consider the limitations of accelerometry when measuring external load. Even though such technology is extremely useful, accelerometers fail to measure the metabolic demands of isometric muscle contractions during player-on-player contact due to the low velocity outputs. While these actions have very low acceleration, they potentially have very high energy demands [ 1 , 19 , 54 ]. Therefore, the physical cost of player-on-player contact loading is a component of basketball that must be examined more thoroughly in future research to more accurately quantify training and competition load.

6. Limitations

Some limitations should be addressed when considering the present research on training load and competition demands among different levels of basketball. Firstly, several elite leagues (e.g., NBA or ACB) do not allow for wearable technology to be used during competition which creates a gap in the literature as far as linking demands placed on the players during elite competition and how that compares to training. Secondly, when trying to investigate these variables, most sub-elite and youth teams do not have the financial means to invest in equipment to accurately quantify load during training. Finally, the limited number and sample size of youth and sub-elite studies made it difficult to conclude the precise demands of training and competition at these levels. As such, more resources need to be invested in these areas.

7. Conclusion

Basketball is a highly competitive team-sport that requires a cascade and flow of various movement patterns relative to the technical and tactical aspects of the sport. Examining the internal and external loads imposed on the players from both training and competition provides context for the practitioner to create an optimal training environment. Having the knowledge of the stress demands on the player during competition will help to dictate the volume and dosage of load for desirable adaptations in the player’s training regimen. From the results of the present systematic review, it appears that higher-level players seem to be more efficient while moving on-court. Elite level players cover less distance, at lower average velocities, and with lower HR max and HR ave during competition. However, they seem to have greater capacities to move at higher speed. This is likely due to a heightened sense of awareness based on the schematics of the game. Such information may provide insight into personalized testing protocols as well as training recovery strategies based on each player’s response and considering mechanical and physiological loading parameters relative to competition level. Examining this holistic approach creates an ideal training environment that facilitates both technical and tactical development as it relates to the game of basketball. Future research must be dedicated to this area to provide more precise insight into the physical and interpositional demands of the sport. It is necessary to accurately and systematically assess competition demands to help determine valid training strategies that resemble match-play, considering training age, physical characteristics, and in-game role of guards, forwards, and centers. Reviewing these principals will allow priming and preparing basketball players for the rigorous of match-play demands.

Supporting information

S1 checklist, acknowledgments.

All contributing authors would like to acknowledge Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia and The Philadelphia 76ers Athlete Care Department.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2020; 15(3): e0229212.

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Training Load and Match-Play Demands in Basketball based on Competition Level

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Reviewer #1: - English grammar and spellings must be revised before a resubmission of the manuscript due to the fact that too many typos appear through the manuscript. In this sense the reviewer highlighted some of them, but I did not make an extensive review of typos.

- P2, L50, please add into brackets the specific demands (e.g., physical, technical…).

- P2, l52, please replace the term athlete with player through the text.

- P2, L54, please add after competition the different levels analysed (i.e., elite…).

- P2, L54, please write Web of Science instead of WoS.

- P2, l55-57, please replace the numbers (1), (2) and (3) with (i), (ii), (iii).

- P2, L57, please add “and” before (3).

- P2, L58, please clarify the type of study participants: …study participants into elite (xxxxxxx), sub-elite (xxxxxxx), and youth (xxxxxxxxx).

- P2, L59 and L63, add the word systematic before review.

- P2, L60, please write players instead of athlete.

- P2, L61, please write players instead of athlete.

- P2, L61, please write a full stop after athletes and start a new sentence.

- P2, L61, please delete the comma after distance.

- P2, L62, please add “than the other level players” after competition.

- P2, L66, please replace “help determine” with “provide”.

- P3, L82, please delete “of two halves, or”.

- P3, L84, please write “game-related”.

- P3, L91, what does “competition alone” mean? Please clarify the sentence and meaning of Stojanovic´s article.

- Please explain in depth the Stojanovic´s article. This reference detailed some relevant factors that affect the training load in basketball: playing period, playing position, level, geographical location and sex. In fact, the authors should justify why the current systematic review is needed, mainly when the Stojanovic´s one was published in 2017 and only a few articles were published after that date.

- P3, L92, please explain the stress variables identified in the Stojanovic´s review.

- P3, L93, please replace “Of note” with “It is important to note”.

- P3, L95, replace are with were.

- P3, L95, please write fact instead of effect.

- P4, L99-100, please write “…were the variables widely used to assign”.

- P4, L104, please replace conclusive with concluding or robust.

- P4, L106, please write “a better understanding of this…”

- P4, L109, please write …”stress that the players deal with during trainings and competitions”.

- P4, L111, please write “team sport” instead of “sport”.

- P4, L111, please write “…may be of extreme importance to ensure that players are…”.

- P4, L112, please write “…prepared for competition demands, from a fitness standpoint, in order to avoid…”.

- P4, L115, please replace dedicated to with focused on.

- P5, L121, player instead of athlete.

- P5, L123, write loads instead of load.

- P5, L125-126, please rewrite the sentence.

- P5, L127-128. The rationale of the current systematic review should be better presented and justified (as was pointed out above) highlighting the novelty of studying the different level of competition, and what does the current review add to the previous one of Stojanovic et al (2017).

- P5, L132-135, please split it into 2 sentences.

- P5, L132, please write “in the available research”.

- P5, L134-135, please write “Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review was to analyse the evidence related to…”

- P5, L140, please write focused instead of focusing.

- P6, L150, the authors should redo the search due to the fact that the first search was around 8 months ago, and not too many studies were found for sub-elite and youth levels.

- P7, L170, please write 19 years old.

- P7, L172-178, please replace the numbers (1), (2) and (3) with (i), (ii), (iii), (iv).

- P7, L174 and L178, please write and before (3) and (4), respectively.

- P7, L178, please write “a conference proceeding”.

- Quality of figures 1 and 2 must be improved.

- P8, L199, please add “the” before systematic.

- Tables 1 to 5 should include the n of matches and individual observations for each study.

- The units and symbols included in tables 1 to 5 should follow the same scale/unit of measure (m*s). In addition, the description of variables should include in all the studies mean and SD.

- Tables 1 to 5, please unify the names of the leagues to use the correct terminology. For example Spanish ACB league instead of Spanish ACB or what does Spanish Basketball Federation mean? Authors should write clearly each league name or sample used in order to avoid misunderstandings of readers and researchers.

- Results, the authors must unify the way to present the results. I suggest that mean and sd will be provided for all variables. However, the authors did this approach for some variables, but not for all.

- I suggest that the CV% would be included by authors in the analysis of each article to check the variability of their findings. This information will be useful to discuss the importance (stability) of variability among levels and then justify the large differences in some variables.

- P11, L255, please write 4,369.

- P11, L255, please write 3,722 and 6,208.

- P11, L255, please write 5,377.

- P11, L255, please write 7,558.

- P11, L255, please write 5,377 and 7,558.

- P11, L257, please write In particular instead of “Of note”.

- P11, L261-262, please delete “supporting that higher-level players travel the least amount of distance during competition”.

- P11, L262-270. The authors should explain and argue some relevant factors and variables that can justify the level differences such as experience, tactical discipline, hours of training, more professional supervised practice or the control of competition.

- P12, L289, please write In fact instead Of note.

- P13, L319, garner???

- P14, L322, please replace “demonstrated” with identified or found.

- The study of Puente et al (39) should be carefully discussed and argued during results and discussion because only 1 match was studied. Then, some of the authors’ arguments need to be revised to state the limitations of sample size of some studies included in the current review.

- P16, L342, please write correctly the units of running.

- P16, L343, please write sprinting with lower case letters.

- P16, L346, please add that before there was.

- P16, L354, please write these results would instead of this would.

- P16, L355, please delete “at the”.

- P16, L 355, please replace athletes with players.

- P16, L356, please add a full stop after counterparts and clarify the last sentence.

- P16, L359, please clarify that the studies analysed time motion variables or indicators, but not time motion analysis.

- P18, L381-383, please write vs or on when explaining the game situations (e.g., 3 on 3 or 3vs3, but not 3v3).

- P18, L383, please replace games with situations.

- P21, L432, please write correctly the units of measure after >3.5.

- P22, L453-454, please write vs or on for each game situation (e.g., 3 on 3 or 3vs3, but not 3v3).

- P22, L455, please replace athletes with players.

- P22, L461-462, please justify with scientific and valid arguments the training load differences by playing position. The game play actions raised were neither studied nor real facts of the actual game play of basketball.

- P22, L468-475, please discuss these issues with valid and scientific references that support yours statements.

- Limitations, the authors should include more limitations of the current systematic review such as sample size of some studies (Puente et al) or the reduced number of studies for youth players.

- P24, L496, please replace athletes with players.

- Conclusion, L505, please add positional aspects of the sport.

- Conclusion, replace athlete with player L506, L508, L509, L510, L515, L521, and L522.

- P24, L 508, please add to before dictate.

- P24, L509, please add systematic before review.

- P25, L516, wholistic???

- Reference list should be revised in depth according to the journal guidelines: (i) journal title in italics and short title (refs 1-20 and 22-53); (ii) incomplete references without number of pages, article number of journal vol/num (refs 3 and 48); or (iii) wrong journal title ref 45 (Sports medicine instead of Springer) or ref 21.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Miguel A Gómez

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

21 Jan 2020

Dear Reviewer,

We really appreciate the time you devoted to reading our manuscript and helping us craft an improved version. As a single reviewer we acknowledge the fact that this was a difficult process. We are pleased to clarify your concerns which we believe will improve the impact and quality of our work. Please find below our response to your observations. We have made a concerted attempt to systematically address the specific concerns raised for this revision and we have highlighted the alterations to this revision within the manuscript in yellow for your convenience.

In advance,

King Regards

Author’s Response- Thank you so much for highlighting this issue. We have conducted a full revision of the English grammar to meet the standards for publication.

Author’s Response- Thank you so much. Changed as suggested: (physiological, mechanical, technical, tactical) was added.

- P2, L52, please replace the term athlete with player through the text.

Author’s Response- Thanks so much. Good detail. Changed as suggested.

Author’s Response- Agree, Changed as suggested. Elite, Sub-Elite, and Youth.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. We now indicate the number of studies included for each category: Elite (20), Sub-Elite (9), Youth (6).

Author’s Response- “competition alone” refers to the fact that Stojanovic et al. did not examine training load and how that compared to the demands of competition.

Author’s Response- This is a great point, thank you for bringing it up. The Stojanovic article is discussed in more depth. The fact that training load was not examined and that there is not any data reported on acceleration/deceleration demands justifies the need for the current systematic review. This is now highlighted in the text.

Author’s Response- Heart rate, total distance, blood lactate and time-motion analysis are the stress variables mentioned in the article.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. This is a great point. We elaborated on the fact that it is helpful for coaches and sports scientists to have information about training load versus match-play demands and how that compares based on competition level. In addition, we emphasize that the present review addresses the studies that have investigated the acceleration/deceleration demands of training and competition.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. The sentence was re-arranged to make it easier for the reader to follow.

- P5, L134-135, please write “Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review was to analyze the evidence related to…”

Author’s Response- After conducting the search again only one new article was found that met the inclusion criteria. Vázquez-Guerrero et al. from September 2019 examined changes in physical demands between quarters. This study was conducted on youth athletes over 13 matches and, therefore, was added to the manuscript. All the other published articles were in referee, female, or wheelchair basketball and did not include training load or competition demands.

Author’s Response- Number of matches and training sessions were added to the tables, as well as the competition level for training and match-play.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested to Spanish ACB League. Spanish Basketball Federation is the Sub-Elite second division in Spain.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. SD was added to all of the presented variables. The only case in which SD were not reported was when we presented ranges for some of the variables based on the publish data.

Author’s Response- Thanks for your comment. We agree that %CV would be a great addition to the manuscript. However, given that most articles only report mean values (and not individual values) it was not possible for us to calculate the CV for each variable.

Author’s Response- Deleted as suggested.

Author’s Response- Thank you for your suggestion. We totally agree. We have re-written the sentence to bring up the point of elite athletes having a higher degree of technical and tactical economy based on training age, professional supervised practices, and higher-level coaching.

Author’s Response- Changed garner to achieve.

Author’s Response- The limitation that only one competition was tracked was brought up as well as the fact that future research is needed.

Author’s Response- All units of running were changed to (m·s).

- P16, L359, please clarify that the studies analyzed time motion variables or indicators, but not time motion analysis.

Author’s Response- Changed to 5vs5 as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed to (m*s-2) as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed to 3vs3 as suggested.

Author’s Response- The reviewer makes a compelling argument and he is right. Thank you. Interpositional demands discussed were justified by previous literature [5,6,9,13,40].

Author’s Response- The section on interpositional demands was validated via previous work [5,6,9,13,40].

Author’s Response- Limitations of the Puente et al. study was discussed as well as the lack of studies within the youth and sub-elite levels.

Author’s Response- Positional aspects were changed and added as future research lines due to the abovementioned reasons.

Author’s Response- Changed to global.

Author’s Response- Italics and short titles were corrected as well as the vol and title for 3, 48, 45, and 21.

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

Decision Letter 1

Training Load and Match-Play Demands in Basketball based on Competition Level: A Systematic Review

PONE-D-19-30568R1

Dear Dr. Petway,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you will receive an e-mail containing information on the amendments required prior to publication. When all required modifications have been addressed, you will receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will proceed to our production department and be scheduled for publication.

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Acceptance letter

18 Feb 2020

Dear Dr. Petway:

I am pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper at this point, to enable them to help maximize its impact. If they will be preparing press materials for this manuscript, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact gro.solp@sserpeno .

For any other questions or concerns, please email gro.solp@enosolp .

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE.

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Carlos Balsalobre-Fernández

2019 Theses Doctoral

Essays in Basketball Analytics

Keshri, Suraj Kumar

With the increasing popularity and competition in professional basketball in the past decade, data driven decision has emerged as a big competitive edge. The advent of high frequency player tracking data from SportVU has enabled a rigorous analysis of player abilities and interactions that was not possible before. The tracking data records two-dimensional x-y coordinates of 10 players on the court as well as the x-y-z coordinates of the ball at a resolution of 25 frames per second, yielding over 1 billion space-time observations over the course of a full season. This dissertation offers a collection of spatio-temporal models and player evaluation metrics that provide insight into the player interactions and their performance, hence allowing the teams to make better decisions. Conventional approaches to simulate matches have ignored that in basketball the dynamics of ball movement is very sensitive to the lineups on the court and unique identities of players on both offense and defense sides. In chapter 2, we propose the simulation infrastructure that can bridge the gap between player identity and team level network. We model the progression of a basketball match using a probabilistic graphical model. We model every touch event in a game as a sequence of transitions between discrete states. We treat the progression of a match as a graph, where each node represents the network structure of players on the court, their actions, events, etc., and edges denote possible moves in the game flow. Our results show that either changes in the team lineup or changes in the opponent team lineup significantly affects the dynamics of a match progression. Evaluation on the match data for the 2013-16 NBA season suggests that the graphical model approach is appropriate for modeling a basketball match. NBA teams value players who can ``stretch'' the floor, i.e. create space on the court by drawing their defender(s) closer to themselves. Clearly, this ability to attract defenders varies across players, and furthermore, this effect may also vary by the court location of the offensive player, and whether or not the player is the ball handler. For instance, a ball-handler near the basket attracts a defender more when compared to a non ball-handler at the 3 point line. This has a significant effect on the defensive assignment. This is particularly important because defensive assignment has become the cornerstone of all tracking data based player evaluation models. In chapter 3, we propose a new model to learn player and court location specific offensive attraction. We show that offensive players indeed have varying ability to attract the defender in different parts of the court. Using this metric, teams can evaluate players to construct a roster or lineup which maximizes spacing. We also improve upon the existing defensive matchup inference algorithm for SportVU data. While the ultimate goal of the offense is to shoot the ball, the strategy lies in creating good shot opportunities. Offensive play event detection has been a topic of research interest. Current research in this area have used a supervised learning approach to detect and classify such events. We took an unsupervised learning approach to detect these events. This has two inherent benefits: first, there is no need for pretagged data to learn identifying these events which is a lobor intensive and error prone task; second, an unsupervised approach allows us to detect events that has not been tagged yet i.e. novel events. We use a HMM based approach to detect these events at any point in the time during a possession by specifying the functional form of the prior distribution on the player movement data. We test our framework on detecting ball screen, post up, and drive. However, it can be easily extended to events like isolation or a new event that has certain distinct defensive matchup or player movement feature compared to a non event. This is the topic for chapter 4. Accurate estimation of the offensive and the defensive abilities of players in the NBA plays a crucial role in player selection and ranking. A typical approach to estimate players' defensive and offensive abilities is to learn the defensive assignment for each shot and then use a random effects model to estimate the offensive and defensive abilities for each player. The scalar estimate from the random effects model can then be used to rank player. In this approach, a shot has a binary outcome, either it is made or it is a miss. This approach is not able to take advantage of the “quality” of the shot trajectory. In chapter 5, we propose a new method for ranking players that infers the quality of a shot trajectory using a deep recurrent neural network, and then uses this quality measure in a random effects model to rank players taking defensive matchup into account. We show that the quality information significantly improves the player ranking. We also show that including the quality of shots increases the separation between the learned random effect coefficients, and thus, allows for a better differentiation of player abilities. Further, we show that we are able to infer changes in the player's ability on a game-by-game basis when using a trajectory based model. A shot based model does not have enough information to detect changes in player's ability on a game-by-game basis. A good defensive player prevents its opponent from making a shot, attempting a good shot, making an easy pass, or scoring events, eventually leading to wasted shot clock time. The salient feature here is that a good defender prevents events. Consequently, event driven metrics, such as box scores, cannot measure defensive abilities. Conventional wisdom in basketball is that ``pesky'' defenders continuously maintain a close distance to the ball handler. A closely guarded offensive player is less likely to take or make a shot, less likely to pass, and more likely to lose the ball. In chapter 6, we introduce Defensive Efficiency Rating (DER), a new statistic that measures the defensive effectiveness of a player. DER is the effective distance a defender maintains with the ball handler during an interaction where we control for the identity and wingspan of the the defender, the shot efficiency of the ball handler, and the zone on the court. DER allows us to quantify the quality of defensive interaction without being limited by the occurrence of discrete and infrequent events like shots and rebounds. We show that the ranking from this statistic naturally picks out defenders known to perform well in particular zones.

• Operations research
• Sports--Statistical methods
• Basketball players--Ability testing
• Simulation methods
• Sports--Mathematical models
• Basketball players--Rating of

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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

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