It
used to be that exploding backboards were a common sight at NBA
games. You would get a spectacular slam dunk or alley-oop, and the
next thing you knew there was glass all over the place. It may not
have made the bloopers reel, but it sure made the highlights. Of
course, the game would go into hibernation until the board was
replaced and the man ran out with the broom, but somehow the sheer
spectacle made up for all the delay.
All
of that ended in 1983, when the NBA decided to put an end to the
carnage and let backboards live to a ripe old age. The breakaway rim
– which bends when a player slams against it and then snaps back –
is just one of the innovations that have changed the game of
basketball. Let’s take a look at some others.
First
on the list is the three-point line. When this first came in, many
thought that it was a gimmick, but it actually had a long history. A
three-point rule was first tried out at an Ohio high school back in
1933, and was tested again in an NCAA game in 1945. The American
Basketball Association then adopted it in 1961, followed by the
Eastern Professional Basketball League in 1963 and the American
Basketball Association in 1967. However, it wasn’t until 1979 that
the NBA started using the three-point line – but as soon as they
did, it fundamentally changed the game. Seeing a player drain a long
shot is truly spectacular.
Speaking
of the NBA taking a long time to
adopt innovations, they are still playing on hardwood courts.
However, new high-performance basketball courts from companies such
as VersaCourt have the potential to revolutionize the professional
game, and are already in wide use outside of the NBA. These court
surfaces give a better grip, and also reduce player fatigue because
they are suspended and have more spring to them. It only has to be a
matter of time before the NBA starts using these courts. To find out
more, check out www.versacourt.com.
To
understand why these surfaces may be adopted in the long run in the
NBA, you only have to look at another innovation that put a spring in
players’ steps. If you remember all the way back to the 1970s,
professional basketball players wore canvas sneakers with rubber
soles – mostly Converse’s Chuck Taylor All-Stars. No one had even
heard of Nike – which is not surprising, since they were called
Blue Ribbon Sports until 1978. Then in 1982 Nike brought out their
Air Force 1, which were the first kicks to have pump-up soles. By
1985, Nike had enlisted Michael Jordan to endorse its shoes, even
though they weren’t legal in NBA games. Jordan wore the shoes every
game, the NBA fined him $5000 every game, Nike paid the fines with a
big wide smile every game – and the rest is history. The public
went wild for the shoes, the NBA ended up relaxing the rules, and now
you won’t see a pair of Chuck Taylors anywhere near an NBA court.
