OT: Why are black and white players different?

Discussion in 'Chicago Bulls' started by MikeDC, Apr 1, 2008.

  1. MikeDC

    MikeDC Member

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    Because everyone likes a good racial debate, I've posted on my blog about it.
     
  2. GMJ

    GMJ Suspended

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    Because black players have more melanin, and white players smell like mayonnaise sandwiches. Peace!
     
  3. Run BJM

    Run BJM Heavy lies the crown. Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I think this is in large part due to athletic ability and cultural differences between your "typical" white and "typical" black NBA player. The large majority of the guys who play in the NBA are the physical elite of the general population; they're tall, excellent athletes in terms of speed, quickness, leaping ability, strength, wingspan, etc. I have no statistical data to support this whatsoever but I'd say the majority of people who meet most of the aforementioned criteria are African Americans. Not many American whites, Europeans, south Americans, Africans, or Asians fit in there at all. Thats not to say that African Americans are more athletic in general, but I believe that the best African American athletes are physically more gifted than the best athletes of other races (for a variety of reasons I don't want to get into).

    Think about the most amazing physical specimen in the NBA; LeBron James, Josh Smith, Dwight Howard to name a few. How many people of ANY other race have you ever seen/heard of who come even remotely close to having the total package athletically as these guys as far as the amazing size and strength in addition to speed, quickness, leaping ability, etc.? Chris Anderson comes close maybe? David Lee tall and a good athlete but not really comparable to these guys. Again, this is just me observing and even steroeotyping if you want to look at it that way.

    Of course culture also plays a large role. I would assume that the "typical" white youth is more well off financially than the "typical" african american youth. I think it is safe to say a suburban white has more opportunities to play a variety of sports, many white kids opt to focus on football, baseball,soccer, etc. during their high schools years. This is not only due to cultural opportunities but also role models. I would venture a guess that more white male fathers are bigger fans of the MLB or NFL than of the NBA. I would also make the assumption that kids look up to role models who are of the same race (not saying their racist but I would say that this happens more often than not). What NBA players would a white American person look up to? Mike Dunleavy? Chris Kaman? The appeal is just not there as much as with a Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Roger Clemens (pre-steroid accusations), etc.

    An inner-city african american kid may not have the funds to play organized football or baseball. It costs money to sign up, you have to pay for the equipment, it costs money and time for transportation to and from practices and games, etc. etc. To play basketball you only have to walk down to the nearest local court (pretty accessible in a large city) and there will be plenty of people to play with, all you need is a ball and even then someone at the court is sure to have one and will let you play with them. If these kids play basketball the large majority of the time while the "typical" white kid is playing a variety of sports, playing video games and doing other things that a poor inner city kid can't do then obviously the inner city kid will be a better basketball player. Combine that with the (perhaps shallow) assumption that they are more likely to be gifted athletes then you see why there is such a sharp advantage toward African Americans above any other race.

    You see whites at the top of 3 point shooting categories because its such a niche aspect of the game. Guys like Kerr played for one reason- to shoot the 3 ball. Obviously its their specialty, its what they're paid for, of courser they're going to be the best. While other bigger, faster, stronger players are working on rebounding, defending, penetrating, finishing at the rim, etc. these 3 point shooting specialists are working on their 3 pt shooting. Obviously they have little potential at being a defensive juggernaut, rebounder, or dribble penetrator since they are usually smaller and less athletic, so they focus on what they are "supposed" to do- shoot the ball. Why aren't their as many african american 3 point shooting specialists? Theres a tough question to answer. Again, you could go back to culture; theoretically the "typical" black inner city kid is going to be more focused on improving his handles, dribbling, etc. if hes playing pickup games. Compare that to suburban white kids who are going to basketball camps and being trained in a completely different manner that focuses more on fundamentals, team play, etc.

    It is an interesting debate though. There is a clear difference in athleticism in the NBA from American whites even to European whites. Andrei Kirilenko, Andrea Bargnani, Andres Nocioni, etc. are all good to great NBA athletes and how many white American players are comparable to them?

    BTW just remembered Nocioni is Argentinian but the point remains; the rest of the world seems to produce better elite level athletes than do white americans.
     

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