Take Up… #4 Basketball

Coolest sport back in school, b-ball’s gonna get you superfit too.

I’ve shot some hoops. I know how this works…

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Throwing a deflating ball at a bent hoop round the back of the local sports complex isn’t the same as being able to play basketball properly. Taken seriously, it’s an enormously complex game requiring all-round fitness, and therefore giving you a perfectly honed body.

But don’t I need to be 7’9”?

No. While a lot of pro players are well over six foot, you’re, with all respect, unlikely to be turning pro. Anyone of any height can play – shorties might just find dunking harder.

But isn’t it just for Americans?

While it’s bigger in the US, basketball’s slowly getting attention in India. Although the Basketball Federation of India was established back in 1950, it is now gaining footage from sponsors and shutterbugs.

So what do I start with?

Dwight Howard, player for Orlando Magic and also an NBA All Star, says it’s “all about fundamentals”.

Which means what?

Exactly what it sounds like. It’s the basics. It’s perfecting your dribbling, shooting, throwing, blocking and evading tackles. Don’t expect to be dunking and swinging off the hoop immediately. The beauty of basketball is that a fair amount of the fundamentals can be practised on your own, so nobody needs to see you when you’re raw and rubbish. Some tarmac and a hoop and you can work on your dribbling and dunking until you’re beyond the embarrassing stage.

Won’t I just end up looking all stringy and lanky?

Look at the photo of Howard. Does he look lanky? Basketball is, as well as being superb cardio, a great workout for the entire body. You’ll be working your shoulders, triceps, legs and core. But in order to get some size you’ll have to pair it with weight training. That’ll make your game and physique better.

From the November 2010 issue of FHM India.