From: m1wcc00@fed.frb.gov (Wayne C. Cook)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: Debunking the standard myth was Re: Couple of thoughts..
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:28:46 GMT
	<XJAM.92Aug13172345@cork.CS.Berkeley.EDU>
	<M1WCC00.92Aug14105944@mcfss2.fed.frb.gov>
	<55704@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>
Organization: Federal Reserve Board
In-reply-to: rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com's message of 14 Aug 92 15:53:26 GMT

/In article <55704@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith) writes:

   In article <M1WCC00.92Aug14105944@mcfss2.fed.frb.gov> m1wcc00@fed.frb.gov (Wayne C. Cook) writes:
   >Blow me with the ultimatum.  A scientific study isn't necessary to
   >see the obvious.  All other factors being equal, the player who jumps
   >higher and is quicker is better.

/   But in general, all factors aren't equal. Most great leapers tend to be
/   average or worse shooters, most great shooters tend to be average or worse
/   leapers. There aren't too many Len Biases who can skywalk, and shoot
/   the lights out(yes I know there aren't any Len Biases). The question is
/   why is this the case, genentics or development?

Genetics.

    >I responded to posts that heatedly stated that differences in ability
   >among races do not exist and that it is harmful to believe that there
   >is a difference.  Wake up.  Here's a theory.  Some white people in
   >Indiana love basketball and have as much desire as blacks in say, DC.
   >It was stated that the only reason blacks are better is because
   >they have more peer pressure and more time devotion.  Take 10, 100,
   >1000 guys from the two regions who would all tell you that bball
   >means everything to them.  You'll find a handful of whites under
   >6'5" who can dunk.  You'll find loads of blacks who can do it easily.
   > 

/   Ok here's a theory that explains alot of it. Blacks tend to live in
/   poorer neighborhoods than whites, because blacks tend to make less money
/   than whites(due to simple racism in large part).
                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't agree with this.  But let's leave it alone.  However, you're really
tipping your hat with such a statement. 

/   Poor neighborhoods don't
/   have many indoor gyms and practice facilities, so the kids grow up playing
/   on the playgrounds. Playground ball has one overwhelming factor, the 
/   WEATHER. If its cold and windy, shooting jumpshots is stupid, so in
/   playground ball, taking it to the hole is the way to play. This involves
/   the type of activity that reinforces quickness and jumping ability as
/   key attributes to posess.
/   Whites like Steve Alford grow up in neighborhoods that have gyms, church
/   leagues etc. and often spend alot of their practice time indoors where
/   wind is not a factor. They also spend a lot less time in 5 0n 5 games
/   (Alford spent most of his time shooting alone or with his dad Sam 
/   rebounding for him), so they tend to become good shooters(Alford, Mullin,
/   Bird, rick Barry etc.).
/   The real question is a chicken and egg problem, do whites tend to be 
/   shooters because they can't jump so they have to work on their shot,
/   or do whites work on shooting so much that they don't develop their
/   ability to jump the way blacks do?

Develop their ability to jump the way blacks do?  This is the crux of the
problem here.  You cannot develop an ability to jump past a point that is 
your limit.  You can improve your technique if it was flawed to begin with.
But that's it.  You're gonna jump as high as you were genetically designed
to and after that, you can kill yourself trying and not make much difference.
You could probably use certain training methods to increase a small percentage.
But blacks that jump well don't do this.  They just naturally jump.  Boing.

So, yeah.  Whites do have to shoot better, learn the game better, etc.  And 
they generally have a better chance to do that through boys clubs and such.
But forget the notion that they don't jump because they shoot so much that
they don't develop the ability to jump the way blacks do.  Horsehockey.   
White boys would love to be able to jump better.  That includes Alford and
company.

/   I don't see whats wrong with trying o find out, but I do see whats wrong
/   with making blanket statements like blacks are better because they jump 
/   better, and ignoring the possibility that they simply work harder at
/   the game.

Technically, I think they do some of both.  Because they have better natural
abilities that are well suited to bball, they're more likely to explore
the potential and more likely to have that potential explored (by coaches
who recognize the ability).

 anybody who's seen Southern California highschool volleyball
/   (or even beach volleyball) can tell you there are a lot of beach blond
/   white guys with bigtime vertical jumps,

Most don't really have such phenomenal verticles.  You've also got to 
consider that there are some whites that do jump well (like Chapman and 
Majerle).  Seems natural that some would find their way to volleyball.