Basketball is 95% genetics...

[tpols]

Certain traits help but how many sons, nephews, and brothers are in the NBA? Off the top of my head, Kobe Bryant is the son of a player, Austin Rivers (who is barely in the NBA) is a son of a player, Steph Curry is the son of a player, Hardaway Jr. There are probably a few I am missing but it's not like it's a hundred, more likely a number under 20. Being gifted size and athleticism are huge but I'd bet there's also a lot to do with growing up in a basketball environment (Bryant and Curry). But even the children of great players are unlikely to make it. MJs sons, for example, didn't make the NBA.

Andrew Wiggins dad.. Mike Conley dad was an Olympic sprinter and he was gifted his speed.. I'm sure there's a ton of relatively unknown examples, but you can't put a percentage on it. Some guys are in the league because there 7ft tall and can run.. That's all you really need at that height. Then you have the majority of guards who needed insane amount of skill to make it.

[ralph_i_el]

The average nba player is 6'7"

Only a small percentage of men are taller than 6'3" Most guys taller than that are very awkward runners.

If you're below 6'3" you have to be a basketball god in terms of skills to make the NBA

height is genetic.

So OP is right.

[K Xerxes]

Humans and chimps share 99% of their genes.

That's not the point he was making.

Basketball is 99% genetics =/= basketball players share 99% of their genes

[KevinNYC]

This dude was star athlete in three sports in high school. He also played ice hockey for fun.

He started playing at about 12 years old and 5 years later he was 1 rpg away from a triple double season in high school. If you don't think Steve Nash is a genetically gifted athlete, you're a moron.

SN: I started playing basketball when I was 12 or 13. So I must have been 13 when I got my first ball. It felt good. It felt like a new friend.
When did you realize you had serious game?
SN: I was pretty good right away because when you are 12 or 13 it is more about what other sports you've played. If you are good at other sports you can translate it easily to any sport at that age. I realized when I was about 13 or 14 that I had a chance to be a really good player.

[Marchesk]

That's not the point he was making.

Basketball is 99% genetics =/= basketball players share 99% of their genes

Well I'm calling BS on the 99% genes. That would leave only 1% to all those thousands of hours NBA players had to put in to make it. It will be less hours for big dudes, since they can be more raw and have less skill and still get a shot. But still, you have to work at it.

Durant's genes don't determine that he would be a great shooter. He worked countless hours on his shot. Yeah, Lebron could make it to the NBA on his physique and athleticism, but without working on his game, he's coming off the bench and we would think that he was a waste of talent. But Lebron is in the once in a generation kind of genetic freak category.

[Darius]

Yup.

That's why I'm shocked when people hate on guys like CP3.

He has limited genetic gifts compared to other players and - even those he had - were taken from him with his knee injury.

Still, through pure power of will he became and has remained a top 10 player in the league.

That is rare.

[ILLsmak]

it will always be about hustle first. how do the rodman's, ben wallace's, ron artests, of the world get scouted?

those dudes are all athletic monsters tho and mentally tough.

I do think it's genetics, but so is everything. However people do have genetics and don't go anywhere. You do have to work and you do have to have some level of understanding.

Like Larry Bird maybe couldn't have been in the NBA, no matter how hard he worked, if he was 5 foot 5.

-Smak

[KevinNYC]

Like Larry Bird maybe couldn't have been in the NBA, no matter how hard he worked, if he was 5 foot 5.

-Smak

like 99.99% of NBA players ever.


There have only been two players 5'5" and under.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...iation_history

[AnaheimLakers24]

He sucks

[KevinNYC]

Yup.

That's why I'm shocked when people hate on guys like CP3.

He has limited genetic gifts compared to other players and - even those he had - were taken from him with his knee injury.

Still, through pure power of will he became and has remained a top 10 player in the league.

That is rare.

You seem to be discounting things like balance and dexterity that some people are naturally gifted at. You can work to improve these, but for some this just part of who they are. That's why I posted the Steve Nash photo above. I remember seeing one of those advanced training videos with Chris Paul and his reflexes (the ability to react to stimuli) was among the tops in the world. They basically flashed a light to his left or his right to tell him which way to move and then measured his reaction to like the millisecond. Larry Bird say he realized that basketball just came easier to him than everyone around him. Coordination and balance are some of the athletic traits that separate basketball players from track and field athletes.

[KevinNYC]

He sucks

Well this guy was pretty good.

[tpols]

You seem to be discounting things like balance and dexterity that some people are naturally gifted at. You can work to improve these, but for some this just part of who they are. That's why I posted the Steve Nash photo above. I remember seeing one of those advanced training videos with Chris Paul and his reflexes (the ability to react to stimuli) was among the tops in the world. They basically flashed a light to his left or his right to tell him which way to move and then measured his reaction to like the millisecond. Larry Bird say he realized that basketball just came easier to him than everyone around him. Coordination and balance are some of the athletic traits that separate basketball players from track and field athletes.

That and intelligence too.. A lot of great athletes only have one or two Gears.. Normal running movement and then all out explosion.. Like Derrick Rose or Westbrook.. They don't have the change of pace, awareness, or intelligence to micromanage their movements subtly as to outwit the defense. Bird you could say is in this category as well.. Natural heightened awareness and iq.

[Mrofir]

it will always be about hustle first. how do the rodman's, ben wallace's, ron artests, of the world get scouted?

It's so obviously about genetics that this thread is a little silly.

I'm only responding because I'm a little shocked so many people are taking the other side.

Anybody who doesn't think genetics isn't the biggest factor should go stand next to Ben Wallace and continue the "genetics isn't that important" argument from there.

The chances of making the nba are infinitesimally small. If Michael Jordan's son had a 1% chance of making the NBA, the best explanation for this ridiculously high likelihood is genetics. He didn't make it, but the reverse argument is NOT valid.

"MJs son is not in the league, therefor genetics as a factor is overstated." That's like saying I bought a million tickets and didn't win the lottery, therefor buying tickets is not a factor in winning the lottery.

I'm 5'8. I'm a pretty good player, I'm usually one of the better people on the court in any decent quality pick up game. I got pretty good genes with regards to coordination, quickness, strength, yet I could never ever make the NBA, purely because of genes. There are countless people like me. For me to keep my good qualities, quickness and coordination, and be 7 ft tall, would require winning a genetic lottery. If I had won that lottery I'd probably have a good shot at being a professional basketball player. But that's just like saying, if I won the lottery I'd win the lottery. It just keeps coming back to genes.

[morbius]

If I had the body of Michael Jordan, I would have been a very good basketball player. Not nearly as great as he was, but a very good one.
If MJ had my body, he would never have played professional basketball.

[Mrofir]

PS to you guys posting Steve Nash pictures as part of an argument that genetics aren't important......



Martin Nash, Steve's brother, had a 15 year career as a professional soccer player.

John Nash, Steve's dad, was a professional soccer player.