You could not run three steps with the ball cradled in your stomach, like a fullback. On defense, you could not push the other player in the back to impede his progress to the net. Most importantly, you shot jump shots, set shots from outside, or broke away for a layup. Now, we see giants like Shaq who stand near the basket, turn and knock over opponents, and then while looking down at the basket, stuff the ball through the hoop. Slightly shorter players soar through the air and stuff the ball defiantly and hang on the rim like primates.
Crowds are in awe.
I don't get it. They mean to accomplish something that is easy to do, for which the outcome is not in doubt, and for which there is no challenge. You just need to be tall. Oh, yeah, there are some shorter guys who can slam-dunk. High jumping is a separate Olympic sport.