Basketball vs Baseball
Basketball and baseball are among the most popular sports in the United States. Baseball has been around the longest, but it’s definitely not the best sport to watch or play. Basketball is a much more exciting sport to watch, be a fan of, and play than baseball because players are more athletic, it’s easier to play, and more fun to follow. Basketball players are some of the most athletic people in the world. The average basketball player can run faster and jump higher than the average baseball player. Some of baseball’s best players have been completely out of shape – from Babe Ruth to David Wells to Prince Fielder.
Basketball players also rely on training and conditioning to stay in shape. Michael Jordan won 6 championships in the 90s, when the game was even more physical than today’s, by hiring the best trainers that money could buy. Barry Bonds broke the home run record by allegedly hiring the best trainers that could buy him steroids. Any time a feat in baseball is achieved, there are always questions that taint the sport. Whenever a feat in basketball is achieved, the athletes have earned it. Basketball is also a better sport because it’s easy to play. All that is needed is to do is go to any park and start playing a pick up game.
Even if no one is there, it’s easy to just shoot around. People aspiring to play baseball aren’t so lucky. Rounding up 17 other people to play is almost impossible with the amount of other things kids would rather be doing. That doesn’t include making sure that there are enough gloves, baseballs, and everything else that is needed to play a game. It’s even a bigger hassle to go to the park and practice by yourself. Have fun hitting a baseball 300 feet and going to retrieve it every time. The only real option is to go to the batting cages. As you pass about 20 basketball courts on your way there, make sure you have enough money to practice.
Not only is basketball easier to organize, indoor-basketball games don’t depend on fair weather. Live in Seattle and it’s raining? Find a gym. You’re a baseball player that lives in Seattle and it’s raining? Come back in the summer. Because all organized basketball is played indoors, the hoop is always 10 feet high and every game that is played will be played on the same size court. Not only are there variables of the weather when it comes to baseball, the dimensions of each stadium differ. No matter where Kobe plays, he knows exactly how to attack from every spot on the floor.
Take Josh Hamilton out of Arlington and put him into a “pitcher’s park” and he might be taken out of the MVP race. Being a fan of NBA basketball is much more exciting than MLB baseball. In the NBA, you are required to trade salaries that match the incoming salaries within 15%. If a team is trading a star’s max contract, more than likely they’ll receive another star (unless you’re the Orlando Magic). Regardless, you’ll receive someone that plays professionally in the NBA. Only in baseball can a team trade it’s best player who makes $20 million a year for “a player to be named later. That player usually ends up being a 21 year-old prospect who may never make it to the big leagues. This makes basketball much more exciting because teams have a better chance of staying competitive. Another thing that makes basketball more exciting is that your best player will play every single game and every single minute and make a huge impact on offense and defense if healthy. We saw Lebron James and Kevin Durant play against each other during the NBA Finals. We also saw Cole Hamels go 1-0 in 2 starts in the 2008 World Series and win MVP.
He played 2 games, won 1 of them, and walked home with the MVP trophy. Count on basketball’s best players to play every single game and control their team’s last possession of the game. Many witnessed what Michael Jordan did in the NBA Finals with the flu against the Utah Jazz. He willed his team to victory, especially during the most clutch moments of the game. How many times has a team’s best hitter sat on the bench the entire 9th inning because it wasn’t his turn in the lineup? How many times has a team’s best pitcher sat on the bench in the 9th inning because he’s already pitched over 100 pitches?
How many times has a team’s best defender stood in the same exact spot on the field during all three outs in the 9th because the ball wasn’t hit to him? In conclusion, basketball is a better all-around sport than baseball is. As an athlete, basketball keeps you in great shape. As an NBA fan, your star player will never be traded for an unknown D-League player. The pace of a basketball game is much faster and you can rest assured that an NBA championship will never be won with a final score of 1-0 – after multiple overtime quarters. No matter how you spin it, basketball is just in a different class.
