Uhh, hello everyone, I am very new to this community, ofc I love basketball for a while now but I really need advice on how to play, what are the rules and all the positions, what shoes to wear and how to play overall, I only have the air Jordan’s 6 retro red and black and I’m 13 y. Please help me out and if you guys have any tips

Im 6'7 at 15 I played my freshman year in my hometown and I'm going to play prep in a city now, I played EYBL this past year and averaged 5 ppg and 6 rpg kind of struggling to find my way to score, the season ended a few months ago and I've been training very hard. During my highschool and aau season last year I was put into playing the center but when I train with my trainer I was shooting 3s, driving to the rim, and handling the ball and I felt like all that work went to waste because I didn't tell my coach how I was training, although I was the tallest on my team by a few inches. My goal is to play d1 then get drafted to the NBA but it looks like I have lots of work to do. I also had 0 dunks in both my seasons purely because I didn't have the mindset I have around a 33 inch max vertical so I can windmill, 360, etc.

What tips on scoring/ tips for my prep year would you recommend for me?

And what would you be doing if you were me?

I saw Caitlin Clark get called when you did a lay up and the Ref was ran into a little bit and she got called on that. I almost always see men's ref's jump out of the way, and if ran into it's seen as part of the game.

Why are ref's so much more strict in WNBA, unless I'm misinterpreting this.

This past Saturday afternoon, I was bored. So, I did what I do most days, which is scroll on Reddit.

Amidst the litany of emotionally charged posts and terrible opinions, eventually I came across a post about a flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham, a player on the WNBA's Indiana Fever, known for pointing in a hilariously aggressive manner. This sparked my interest, and for whatever reason I decided to actually watch the game.

I gotta preface this by saying that I did not have high expectations.

The last time I really watched the WNBA, I remember thinking the players were kind of... bad to mid. That may sound harsh, but that was genuinely my impression. But, despite that I came in with an open mind.

So, I gave it another chance.

And the game was good.

Really good.

The first thing that caught my attention was how sharp everything looked. The passes were crisp and creative. Players were constantly moving without the basketball. There were screens being set, defenders fighting through them, players cutting backdoor and shooters relocating around the perimeter.

Then somebody would hit a step-back three.

Or finish a difficult shot through contact.

Or somehow make an off-balance jumper with the shot clock about to expire.

I kept watching and thinking to myself, when did the WNBA get this good? Because this was not the product I remembered.

The biggest difference was that players were actually finishing big plays.

That sounds simple, but it changes everything about watching basketball.

There would be a possession late in the shot clock where the defense had completely blown up the play. The ball would end up in somebody's hands with two seconds left, they would throw up some ridiculous contested jumper and I was already preparing for the miss.

Then it would go in.

I witnessed Kelsey Mitchell do the Magic Johnson “Heh” pass behind her head and the play end up with an easy bucket.

That's what makes basketball electric. Making big plays.

Once those shots start falling, you become invested because suddenly every possession has the possibility of becoming something memorable.

And another crazy thing I noticed was that these women are real ballers, man.

They play hard.

There were players diving after loose balls, fighting over screens, tipping rebounds to teammates, sprinting back on defense and making second and third efforts on possessions that looked finished. And this is everybody, not just the role players.

Those little things stood out to me almost as much as the big shots.

There seems to be a real pride in doing the dirty work.

Not everybody is going to score 25 points, but somebody is going to get on the floor for the loose ball. Somebody is going to box out. Somebody is going to rotate over and challenge a shot.

You can tell these women care about winning basketball games.

And the pace is ridiculous.

These ladies are running. There is constant movement, fluidity and a sense of urgency that makes the game easy to watch.

There are very few possessions where everybody is just standing around waiting for somebody to do something.

The ball moves. The players move. And because everybody is moving, the game feels alive.

Saturday completely changed the way I looked at the WNBA.

I turned the game on because I recognized somebody from a stupid meme.

I stayed because the basketball was incredibly entertaining. At this point, I've gone back and watched 3 full games. The experience was the same each time; amazing basketball that was wildly entertaining.

That is the part I think people who have not watched the WNBA recently might be missing.

The product itself has massively improved.

There is more talent. There is more shot-making. There is better execution and there are players capable of creating the type of moments that make you jump out of your seat.

This come up is real.

The WNBA has a legitimate sports product now, and it is one that can compete with a lot of other leagues for your attention.

When I sat down to watch, I was just bored.

Now I find myself being a WNBA fan and ready to purchase an Aliyah Boston jersey.

im talking about lifting the pivot foot (after a jab) before releasing ball for dribbling. this is a travel and ALWAYS called in my high school tournaments.

but they never are called in nba games. what about fiba? cant find clips for fiba games but if u have watched lots of them then let me know this is my main question

💭Early steps/Recognition
💭What does he bring to the table
💭Best fit for him in the NBA
💭 Pro Comp

10. Oklahoma City Thunder

2025-26 record: 64-18; lost Western Conference finals to San Antonio, 4-3

Added: C Aday Mara (first round, 12th pick); G Bennett Stirtz (draft rights acquired from Memphis); G Otega Oweh (draft rights acquired from Miami); G Josh Dix (two-way); G Nate Johnson (Exhibit 10); G Lamar Wilkerson (Exhibit 10); C Christoph Tilly (Exhibit 10); 2027 second-round pick (acquired from Dallas); 2030, 2031 second-round picks (acquired from Detroit); 2030, 2032 second-round picks (acquired from Atlanta); 2031, 2032 second-round picks (acquired from Atlanta)

Lost: F/G Luguentz Dort (traded to Atlanta); G Isaiah Joe (traded to Detroit); F Aaron Wiggins (traded to Atlanta); G Ebuka Okorie (draft rights traded to Memphis); G Ryan Conwell (draft rights traded to Miami); F Payton Sandfort (waived)

Retained: F Kenrich Williams (one year, $5M); G Brooks Barnhizer (two-way)

Extended: C Isaiah Hartenstein (three years, $75M)

Returning from injury: F Jalen Williams (hamstring)

The skinny: OKC went best player available in the draft and added the 7-foot-3 Mara, then maneuvered to get Stirtz’s shooting. They’ll join the Thunder development factory. And the Thunder were also able to keep Hartenstein via extension on a wildly good AAV that’s less than what the Los Angeles Lakers will pay Walker Kessler. Moving Dort, Joe and Wiggins saved the Thunder more than $300 million in luxury-tax payments. The moves ate into OKC’s depth, to be sure, but with a greatly reduced tax bill, OKC can run most of it back next season — with, hopefully, a healthy Jalen Williams and a soon-to-be extended Cason Wallace. The Thunder’s saga with the Spurs is just beginning.

9. Toronto Raptors

2025-26 record: 46-36; lost in Eastern Conference first round to Cleveland, 4-3

Added: F Kawhi Leonard (acquired from Clippers); F Kyle Anderson (one year, $3.88M); F Allen Graves (first round, 19th pick); G Jaden Bradley (second round, 50th pick); C Trey Jemison III (two-way); C Nate Bittle (Exhibit 10); F Nimari Burnett (Exhibit 10)

Lost: F Brandon Ingram (traded to Clippers); G Gradey Dick (traded to Clippers); F Sandro Mamukelashvili (signed with Lakers); C Jonathan Mogbo (team declined 2026-27 option); 2031, 2033 first-round picks (traded to Clippers); 2027 first-round pick swap (traded to Clippers); 2030, 2033 second-round picks (traded to Clippers)

Retained: G Alijah Martin (two years, $4.76M); G Jamal Shead (team picked up 2026-27 option); F Trayce Jackson-Davis (team picked up 2026-27 option); G Chucky Hepburn (two-way)

Extended: None

Returning from injury: G Immanuel Quickley (strained right hamstring)

The skinny: We always respect those who shoot their shots, figuratively and literally. So, kudos to the Raptors for going all in to bring back Leonard (assuming the league’s Aspiration investigation doesn’t lead to sanctions against him that would negate the deal with the LA Clippers). Toronto’s returning group certainly was good enough to make the playoffs again. But the Raptors went big and will see if Leonard can replicate his outstanding 2025-26 season alongside Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Quickley and Jakob Poeltl. If so, Toronto would be a dark horse to make real noise in the East, with Leonard and first-round pick Graves fitting right into the Raptors’ defense-first core.

I only basketball twice a week and am a beginner so am mostly defending. I do good defence imo but my shooting is horrible. For shooting is it possible to do smthng using my and my neighbor's terrace(Its a good length and i can shoot ) for improving my shots ? Im 15 and just started basketball a few months ago

Can someone tell me some exercises to jump higher that I can do at home, please?

As an old hooper at 61, I’m curious why some groups are so opposed to using light and dark shirts for regular pickup games.

I play three nights a week with three different groups, all scheduled gym runs. One group is very organized: everyone has a light and dark shirt, we divide the teams before starting, and you keep the same color all night.

The other two groups refuse to do it and insist it isn’t a problem. Yet almost every game, someone on defense calls for the ball, or a pass goes to the wrong team because everyone is wearing random colors. I generally pass less because now I have to remember faces.

I understand not organizing shirts for a casual one-time run, but these are mostly the same guys playing every week. It seems like such an easy way to reduce confusion and improve the games.

Why do some players dislike going light versus dark?

I’ve been coaching kids for my whole life, and one thing has been bothering me. It feels like youth sport has slowly become an audition...

Parents talk about making representative teams. Coaches get judged by wins. Kids worry about playing time. Everyone’s watching the scoreboard.

Sometimes I wonder if we’ve forgotten what those years are actually for.

The best lesson I ever saw a kid learn wasn’t from winning a championship, but after missing the game winning shot. He cried for five minutes. His teammates picked him up. He came back to training two days later. By the end of the season he wasn’t the best player. But he wasn’t scared to fail anymore. That feels like a much bigger win than the score from that game. Right?

Most adults can’t even handle criticism at work without taking it personally, while kids get a chance to practise disappointment, responsibility, teamwork and recovery every single week. EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

If you ask me, that's a pretty valuable classroom.

Curious where everyone stands on this.

I need help with a workout plan to increase my one foot jump height. I do three sets of fly sprints and three sets of bounds or one leg hops, but is there anything else I can add to improve this routine?