25 reasons why Basketball is more fun than Cricket (Part 2)

If you missed the first part, here it is:https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/07/11/25-reasons-why-basketball-is-more-fun-than-cricket-part-1/

Here’s part 2 of the mammoth article stacking up points why basketball can be more fun than cricket.

13. Slam Dunks

In cricket, a sixer is the most exciting shot. In basketball, there’s this thing called slam dunks where a player rockets upward, often collides with a fool trying to stop him, and pummels the ball through the rim.

There’s this guy called Blake Griffin, who may be the most explosive athlete on the planet. Here’s why:

Find me an equivalent moment in cricket.

14. Everyone gets to do everything

In cricket you have a wicketkeeper, a bowler, a couple of batsmen and fielders. And all of their roles are fixed for a good duration.

In basketball you have everyone doing everything in quick turns. Point guards grab rebounds, centers shoot threes, pivot players get assists, everyone can do everything in their skillset.

15. Intangibles

In basketball, a player can stand still and still have an impact on the floor spacing. That’s one of the tougher lessons to implement in youngsters, that they don’t have to keep on sprinting around. Players can carefully set screens.

In cricket you have screens across the fields and that’s different. In basketball players set screens to tie up the defender. Just standing in the right spot can prevent the opponent from getting to a loose ball.

16. Taking charges

In basketball one of the most unselfish acts is taking a charge. As Kobe Bryant has said “I don’t take no charges. I value my health too much.” It takes serious guts and anticipation, to stand still waiting for a wrecking ball to come and hit you just so you can earn a possession.

I don’t see the equivalent of this is cricket, unless you count a bowler obstructing the path of a batsmen while taking a run. And that’s illegal as far as I know.

17. Assists

Another unselfish act. Passing the ball off to someone so they can score. Making plays for your teammates. Moving the ball around unselfishly.

It leads to camaraderie and teaches us the importance of teamwork and synergy.

The closest act to this in cricket would be a fielder backing up another fielder in front of him in case the ball slips by, or one fielder diving and saving the ball and passing it to another to throw back at the pitch.

18. Talking

Yeah cricketers talk too. But that chatter is limited around the pitch. In basketball all ten players often engage in lively conversation, whether it be trash talking like Larry Bird:

19. Free throws

Basketball celebrates fundamentals. A free throw is the most basic skill in basketball, the great test of performing under pressure. Shaq, who was a notoriously bad free throw shooter in games, would claim to be able to make 8 of 10 attempts in practice.

In cricket there’s nothing which compares. Football at least has penalty kicks.

20. Potential for combos of highlight plays

Bunch of plays strung together, leading to a beautiful sequence of a few seconds.

A steal, a save, a tip ahead, a behind the back pass, an alley oop, a dunk

Just watch that and tell me how cricket can be more fun than that.

21. Steals

There’s a kleptomaniac in all of us. Some steal balls, some steal hearts, some steal tv sets and what not. Basketball allows you to indulge that Kelpto in you to the fullest.

In cricket you can steal in a different way by match fixing, in basketball such instances are more transparent since you can’t throw a game as easily as you can in cricket.

22. Block

Not in my house! Swatting a shot away makes you feel like you just swatted away the opposition like a fly.

Imagine doing that in cricket, blocking a shot would be like saving a boundary. Now compare the excitement of the two.

23. Crossovers

Back to the point about crazy things you can do with a basketball. This is one of the most awesome, and the best part is that that the smaller you are, the better you can be at this.

Every time a player dribbles the ball in any direction, he is committed to that direction until the ball bounces high enough for him to regain control and change his direction. The taller the guy, the longer it takes for the ball to bounce back up to a controllable height.

If you are bigger you have an advantage, if you are smaller you have a different advantage.

Anytime two guys are matched up, the one with the ball always has the advantage. The advantage of being one step ahead. He makes his move; the other guy has to follow his lead. Always. Barring the case when the defender tries to steal the ball or pressure the ball handler. In which case the defense is left exposed, again advantage: ball handler. If a guy plays you tight, blow by him; if he backs off protecting the drive, shoot over him. He’s bigger? Drive past him. You have a lower center of gravity so you can change directions quicker. Get him off balance for a second and make your move. Same height or smaller? Shoot over him. Double teams? Pass it off to the open guy.

Basketball teaches you that you can make things happen regardless of the obstacles ahead.

24. Ankle breakers

When you make your defender fall down without touching them, that is magic. That happens with a quick change of direction and pace, when you anticipate their next move and unleash a vicious crossover that drops them down dead like someone chopped off their legs under them.

25. Epic, epic plays

How about the time when the little guy was blocked by Superman and he proceed to choke Superman with his own cape?

Or when you go up against the greatest player to ever play the game and prove your mettle by taking the torch he was unwilling to pass on?

Or…I could go on. Here are 5 Eff you plays from Allen Iverson, celebrating what seems impossible and making it happen.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/2011/09/05/top-5-in-your-face-plays-from-allen-iverson/

How about the time Tracy Mcgrady blew up for 13 in 35?

Basketball has endless potential for such magical moments.

Parents who have just been blessed with a child, ignore for a moment the commercial ramifications of pushing your prodigy towards cricket and consider the points listed above. Then decide what would be more fun for your kid. Something where the kid gets to run and play or something where kids stand still half the day.

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I can hear the footsteps of angry cricket worshipers thundering behind me and getting louder and louder with each word I type. *ducks to avoid a cricket ball aimed at my head*. I have to go before they *parry away a pull shot directed to behead me* before they express their opinions on this piece. Even though every loud, angry comment forthcoming from cricket fans will add credence to the importance of my opinion, which is just that, my opinion.