If they cut their "fro."

[TearDrop]

Btw.... also thanks to GTS.

Next question.....

Did the shoes they wear curtail their athleticism a bit?

I'm sure the shoes they wore increased the chances of knee and back damages. But to what degree, if any did their shoes limit them or even help them (which I don't believe)?

Have you guys wore Chuck taylors before?

Most horrible shoes I've ever worn.

I understand today's shoes are made to increase performance. The shoe's construction helps to improve lateral movement, reaction time and jumping ability (2nd jump more than anything).

I play both volleyball and basketball and in my opinion, most of the basketball shoes are heavier and bulkier than those shoes worn before the 80s, which are closer to volleyball shoes in weight and construction. With modern basketball shoes, perhaps you gain more in ankle protection and stability with small sacrifice in jumping height. As for me, I can jump higher and move much faster in my volleyball shoes but I wouldn't dare going up for rebounds, blocking shots in traffic or even driving to the hoop if it's too crowded (learnt my lesson in a bad way a few times).

[andgar923]

I play both volleyball and basketball and in my opinion, most of the basketball shoes are heavier and bulkier than those shoes worn in 1970s-80s, which are closer to volleyball shoes in weight and construction. With modern basketball shoes, perhaps you gain more in ankle protection and stability with small sacrifice in jumping height. As for me, I can jump higher and move much faster in my volleyball shoes but I wouldn't dare going for rebounds, blocking shots in traffic or even driving to the hoop if it's too crowded (learnt my lesson in a bad way a few times).

Good points, I did consider the weight of the shoe as a plus. But I didn't think they helped when making lateral moves or sharp cuts.

I do remember wearing some shoes and noticing my movement and quickness increase.

[BallPhunk]

I believe it is highly dependent upon the shape of the fro... the additional drag induced from the fro perhaps will introduce additional stabilizing force away from the center of gravity and help keep the body upright as shown in Dr J's many dunks. Maybe, Iverson's braided hair with multiple channels will do a better job at preventing wake or separation from occuring.

Yes - this has proven to be true for AI. Nearly as soon as he cut off his "multiple channels" this year, wake and separation occurred and he was injured. Proved positive for Detroit, but never the less...

As for the fro, there are other factors to consider.

Certain afros:

are more tightly packed and can slow a man down because the allow less air to pass through.


Others:

are more picked out, so although taller may actually give less resistance.


Some afros:

make you look so ridiculous that they make other players slow down from laughing, in essence, speeding you up (same principles).


To summarize, the solution is a simple one:


****There is one type of afro that's benefits still escape science:

The white-fro. We may never know, but luckily they may never dunk...

[YAWN]

How much more athletic would players from the 70's be if they cut their fros?

Seriously....

I think that the fros took away some quickness, mobility and explosiveness when they jumped.

afro kobe was the most athletic:


but i guess it was just a mini fro

[TearDrop]

****There is one type of afro that's benefits still escape science:

The white-fro. We may never know, but luckily they may never dunk...

They may never dunk a basketball, but they get to 'dunk' somewhere else... perhaps for the sake/benefits of our species propagation and to increase the diversity of human species.

[BallPhunk]

They may never dunk a basketball, but they get to 'dunk' somewhere else... perhaps for the sake/benefits of our species propagation and to increase the diversity of human species.

BINGO - nailed it.

Give this man some sort of prize!