From: hillyard@msc.cornell.edu
Subject: Re: Debunking the standard myth was Re: Couple of thoughts..
Originator: hillyard@tiger.msc.cornell.edu
Reply-To: hillyard@msc.cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell-Materials-Science-Center
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 21:11:02 GMT

From article <1992Aug20.030142.20284@random.ccs.northeastern.edu>, by gary@ccs.northeastern.edu (Gary Duhaney):
> In article <M1WCC00.92Aug19112309@mcfss2.fed.frb.gov> m1wcc00@fed.frb.gov (Wayne C. Cook) writes:
>>In article <55727@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith) writes:
>>
>>   >/   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?
>>   >
>>WC:   >Genetics.
>>
>>Russ:
>>   So its just preordained you're either a leaper or a shooter, but you can't
>>   be both? It sounds a little fishy to me. 
>>
>>WC: Didn't say that.  It's preordained with regard to leaping and preordained
>>    what kind of touch you have and it's preordained what kind of rythm you
>>    have and on and on.  You can be born with the ability to do all of these
>>    things well. 
> 
> Even if that is true, one still has to work hard to develop the ability.
> It's like when you first started playing ball if someone touched you
> it messed up your shot completely.  After a while you were able to
> take a hit from a stronger player and still be able to put something up.
> Look at most of the best scorers and shooter, they still get a fairly
> good shot off after being hacked.  You also don't wake up and one day
> use the ability to it's max.
>>
>>Russ:
>>   Sounds a lot more like a process
>>   of development where you spend more time doing one thing than you do the
>>   other. I learned to play on the playgrounds, I never played in a gym
>>   until I was in 8th grade. I'm not a great shooter, my whole game is off
>>   the dribble take the ball to the hole. This is how we play on the playground
>>   and its precisely why I'm not a great shooter. I also had a 30" vertical
>>   jump as a sophomore in highschool before I developed jumpers knee(patellar
>>   tendinitis) and lost a fair bit of spring.
>>
>>WC: Did you become a better shooter as your vertical declined?  That's your
>>    theory right?
> 
> Seemed to be yours.  He's saying he that going to the hole is what he
> worked on.
> 
> [stuff deleted]
> 
>>Russ:
>>   Look do me a small favor, spend 2 hours playing 2 on 2 volleyball in
>>   the sand. then wake up the next day and feel the burn in your calves
>>   and thighs. Now do this 6 months out of the year all through jumior
>>   high and highschool. You seriously think it won't increase your leap?
>>   Thats why there's a lot of skywalkers in So Cal volleyball, there are
>>   at least 3 white guys now on the pro tour with 38" or better jumps,
>>   and 38 is flying, there's not that many in the NBA better than that.
> 			^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>>WC: 3 guys.  Well that supports my statement that their are a few white guys
>>    that can jump.
> 
> No it doesn't, read what the guy said.  Major-leapers are few and far
> between, and as far as I've seen and anyone has proven, no "race" has
> a monopoly.
> 
>>Just like there are some blacks that can't.  And, as I
> 
> Make that just like there are few blacks that can.
>>    said before, no, I don't think a million years of jumping around in the
>>    sand will help anyone jump significantly better.  Nope.
>>
>>  
Xref: sparky rec.sport.basketball.pro:15973 rec.sport.basketball:109 rec.sport.basketball.misc:510 ba.market.misc:6269