Why we love sports

Unimportant Half Court Shots

There are only two different point values you can achieve while making a shot on a basketball court. A two pointer and a three pointer. Anything beyond that 23 foot 9 inch arch is worth 3 points. Whether it is an inch beyond that line or 50 feet, it is still 3 points. But that doesn’t mean that the excitement level is not through the roof when you back it up to the half court line. Maybe once a game a team inbounds the ball with about a second to go and has to heave a half to full court shot to try and steal a couple more points before the quarter ends. Many times the score is not close and the basket does not make any difference in the games final tally yet everyone stands up off their seat in anticipation as the ball leaves the hands at three quarters court.

On the rare occasion that the ball clanks off the backboard and finds its way through the cylinder causing fans to explode with joy. Its as if everyone in attendance just found the winning lottery ticket in their pocket. The basket still counts as 3 but to us it is so much more. This is a H.O.R.S.E shot that we get the treat of seeing happen in an actual game. Whether its Jordan, Lebron, Love, a High Schooler or your dad, the unimportant half to full court shot is suddenly Important. For all of you who sacrifice three point percentage for entertainment and a chance at hitting the full court lottery, we thank you for giving us another reason for loving sports.

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Tuesday’s Matchup

Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan – Stats

Both Kobe and Michael have are very similar players. The type of game they play is very similar, both won their championships under the great Phil Jackson, and both are and were the best of their decade. For my entire life Michael Jordan was my favorite player and I will choose him over anyone in any toss up. Now I am not blind to real talent because Jordan is and will always be my guy. I still truly beleive he is the better basketball player. So enough with the talk, this post is meant to compare two of the games greatest in a statistical manor. (all stats courtesy of http://www.basketball-reference.com/)

Career Averages

Michael Jordan in bold

Kobe Bryant in Italics

Points
30.1

25.2

Rebounds

6.2

5.3

Assists

5.3

4.6

Steals

2.3

1.5
Field Goal Percentage

.497

.456

Single Season Best

Points
37.1

35.4

Rebounds

8.0

6.3

Assists

8.0

6.0

Steals

3.2

2.2
Field Goal Percentage

.539

.469

Last Nights Nugget

Lebron to wear #6

Last Night after the Cavaliers Heat game, Lebron James said that no one in the league should be wearing Michael Jordan’s number 23 in honor of his greatness and what he did for the game of basketball. This includes Lebron himself who has made the number 23 into a heroic number for the city rather than the symbol of the guy who hit the shot on Elo. Lebron announced he will change his number to 6 (coincidence its the number of titles Jordan won?) starting next year. This got us talking, is Lebron right that the NBA should retire MJ’s number league wide as the NHL did for Gretzky’s 99?

Here at Scuttlebutt we love teams retiring numbers for their all time greats. That is why the Bulls have retired 23 to the rafters. Retiring the number 23 for the entire league means never seeing it again. Do people realize this? Why would you want to take out of the game one of the most important things left from its greatest ambassador? One of Michael’s gifts to the league is his iconic number and the meaning an awe behind it. Watching Lebron soar through the air with 23 trailing behind him makes you remember Jordan doing the same. Retiring 23 will feel more like engraving it on a tombstone rather than on a pedestal. We want our superstars wearing 23. 23 represents greatness, clutch, and a swagger like no other. 23 doesn’t belong up in the rafters with Detroit Piston championship banners, it belongs on the backs of our generations great superstars and the generations to follow.