The American sport of basketball has come a long way since it was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Originally, the game was played with a soccer ball and peach baskets instead of a backboard and rim. There were no holes in the baskets and a ladder was used to retrieve the ball if it did stay in the basket! There were as much as fifty players on opposing teams and players who committed fouls were sent to a hockey-like penalty box. Today the game has changed dramatically and basketball has become one of the top three sports in North America.

The game of basketball has been considerably refined. It is now played on a court, each team has a coach, and there are referees to enforce the rules. The coach plays a very important role in building the team into a unit. However, skill is a big factor...