basketball
...ay’s a lot. If you walk in the game dressed like a baller, you got something to prove. The word baller means someone who is really good at basketball, and dresses a certain way. The style that most players chose to wear, were just shorts and a t-shirt. While the so called ballers wore expensive jerseys of NBA players, and Michael Jordan shoes. This is to show that they resemble the skill of the NBA players. Most of the players that called themselves baller’s where actually pretty good at the game. The way you dress in street ball gives off a statement of how good you perceive yourself. Style is definitely one major aspects of street basketball. Equally important, is the language you use while playing the game. In my observation there were many words that I did not understand, mainly because I am not part of this culture. Some of these words were: pick and roll, screen, and up court. After one of the games, I asked a player if he could define these words for me. He started with pick and roll, which means to hand the ball to your team mate then head towards the basket and wait until he/she throws it back to you again so you can score a point. Screen, which means to help your team mate block the opponent so that your team mate can maneuver around the other player. Finally, up court which means to pass the ball to one of your fellow team mates who is up the court. I asked one of the players, how important is it to speak the right language during a game? He responded, “If no one knows what you are trying to say while you’re playing, then it’s like your playing without a team.” In order to win you must be able to understand the language of this culture. The language of street ball is very unique, and can be mastered over time. In order to win at this game you’re going to need more than just style, you’re going to have to communicate with your fellow players. Lastly, you need to understand the rules of this culture. Although there are different rules for every game, these rules must be followed. Once again in my observation I noticed that players called attention to other players when they would double dribble. Double dribble is when a player takes more than three steps without dribbling the ball. This is one of the rules that the NBA uses, and that is also used in street ball. Another rule of this game is that each team should have equal amounts of players. One team can’t have four players while the other team has five, it just wouldn’t be a fair game. In fact, in most games it would not be fair to have more players on one team and fewer players on the other. I asked some of the player, what are some rules that are part of this game? Many stated that before you start the game each team should agree on a number that t...