What is basketball?
That's like asking "What is oxygen?" or "What is gravity?"

How tall is a basketball rim?
10 feet from the ground.

What type of ball do you use to play basketball?
A basketball.

Did basketball exist before InsideHoops.com?
No. Before InsideHoops.com there was no light and no water, let alone basketball.

Was Michael Jordan a better basketball player than Craig Ehlo?
Yes. Yes, he was.

Am I better than than Craig Ehlo in his prime?
No. If you played one on one with him, Ehlo in his prime would destroy you far worse than Jordan used to destroy him. He'd play you like a yo-yo. My goodness, he'd own you.

Why does ice hockey suck?
Ice hockey doesn't suck. Ice hockey is a great sport. Though, you need to invest a huge amount of money into ice hockey equipment, and you need ice. Ten kids who own feet (and sneakers, perhaps) can find a court and use one basketball to play with.

Why does football suck?
Football doesn't suck. Football is a great sport. Though, it's pretty silly that all of these amazingly big, strong guys need to put on 28575 pieces of padding to protect their precious bodies from harm. They might as well wear those big air-filled sumo costumes you see at amusement parks.

Why does soccer suck?
Soccer doesn't suck. Soccer is a great sport. I'd make a joke about soccer here but I don't recall ever watching a game for more than 10 minutes without changing the channel to see if basketball highlights are on and then forgetting about the soccer game, so I don't feel I know enough about the sport to comment.

Why does baseball suck?
Baseball doesn't suck. Baseball is a great sport. I'd make a joke about baseball here but I don't recall ever watching a game for more than 10 minutes without changing the channel to see if basketball highlights are on and then forgetting about the baseball game, so I don't feel I know enough about the sport to comment.

Why don't short, slow, unathletic kids who aren't good at basketball excel at basketball?
Because they're short, slow, unathletic kids who aren't good at basketball.

If I'm a short, slow, unathletic kid who sucks at basketball, am I good at basketball?
No, you suck at it.

Can I still love playing and watching basketball?
Yes. You should love basketball. It loves you, even if you suck at it. We at InsideHoops.com love you as well, especially if you visit several times a day, view lots of pages every time you  visit, and tell lots of people to do the same.

InsideHoops.com really loves me?
Yes. Yes we do. Even though you're short, unathletic, and you suck at basketball.

I'm short but athletic and really good at basketball. Do you think I'm a better player than that short, unathletic kid who sucks at basketball?
Yes.

Does InsideHoops.com love me more than it loves that kid who sucks?
No. We love all basketball players and fans equally. It's important to remember that until you beat the best, you're not really the best. Being better than the short, unathletic kid who sucks at basketball doesn't mean much. He sucks. So you suck less. Compared to him, you're great. And, compared to Jerry Springer show guests, I'm really intelligent. Is that saying much? Life is about passion and happiness and failing and succeeding and growing and learning and a whole bunch of stuff, and one of the best ways to live a happy life is to focus on what makes you happy. And if it makes that short, unathletic kid who sucks at basketball happy to play lots of really awful basketball, so be it. If working hard only to get his shot swatted against the fence over and over by taller, more athletic kids brings him inner satisfaction, so be it. The point is, he's putting his heart into something he loves, and on the rare occasion that he manages to fake you out, get you to leave your feet, and hit a shot over your outstretched arms, he probably experiences a lot more satisfaction than you do when you beat him, since, instead of challenging yourself and striving to accomplish great things, you're settling on playing with kids who you know aren't as good as you are.

This isn't a dress rehearsal. This is life. Life is going by very quickly.

Aim high. Aim higher than high. Find what you love and give it your all. Try your hardest at basketball as well as whatever else makes you happy, and always give your best effort. The hardest losses come from knowing you could have tried harder. If you give it your all and still find defeat, you can find satisfaction in that you KICKED SOME ASS, just not enough of it to win that day.

But, you still accomplished something to be proud of.
 

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