Why are most NBA players black and very strong?

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   Mark Johannposted 10 years ago

   Why are most NBA players  black and very strong?
   
   I just wonder why many black players than white or brown or yellow in NBA? Sorry but this is not racism, just curiosity. Thanks.

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   EJ Lambertposted 10 years ago

   Most people refuse to answer a question like this because they don't want to get called racist.  So I'll bite the bullet.  Black people (or African-Americans for my sensitive crowds) have had physical superiority built into them over the course of evolution.  I'm not talking about the slave days or anything like that.  I'm talking all the way back to the African tribes of the early human era when they dodged lions, elephants and other predators on the savannah.  Quite literally the strong survived back then, and by extension, the strong bred.  Over enough time that course of evolution breeds a people with the genetics for amazing physical feats.  Basketball is a sport that features physical talent more so than the power of the mind like baseball and football.  That is why they dominate.

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      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Every sport or competition requires "the power of the mind" to defeat your competition. If there are rules and regulations (strategy) is required. Even boxers have to know how to counter punch and pace themselves. All team sports rely on plays.

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      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I never said basketball didn't require brain power.  It requires quite a bit what with defensive and offensive sets, game planning, film study etc.  I just think bigger, faster guys can get away with not studying as much in that sport.

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      Mark Johannposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It seems to me that you have a point. I can't understand why in those days, people are enslaving other people because of their built and color.

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   NickCavenderposted 10 years ago

   EJ, I wouldn't claim that basketball requires more physical ability or less intelligence than other sports. According to this study on ESPN's page 2 (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sp … _rank#grid) shows that it's less physically demanding than hockey, a predominantly white sport, and requires much more analytical ability than baseball.
   
   I would say that it's more a matter of traditional socioeconomic status. Many black communities suffer from financial disadvantages, whether it's due to setbacks stemming from slavery or anything before the civil rights movement. Also, in the early 20th century, there was a great migration of black people from the south to the large cities of the north, such as New York or Chicago  Basketball, unlike other sports, doesn't require much money or space to get out and play, so it was a perfect sport for low-income urbanites. This, along with the success of black players such as Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell in the early 1960s, helped to cement basketball as a part of black culture.

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      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I'll concede the hockey point, but you have to admit pound-for-pound and inch-for-inch black players are more athletically gifted.  There is no doubt basketball is a big part of their culture but a big reason is because they're good at it.

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      jlongrcposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You nailed it.  This is a far bigger explanatory factor than the other stuff.

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      Mark Johannposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Now, I understand why are so many black players. It is about culture.

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   Alphadogg16posted 10 years ago

   I don't think its just about a matter of race, physical or mental ability, a lot of it is environment. I grew up in Chicago, and in my neighborhood, you played basketball. A lot of schools didn't even have football teams. In White & Hispanic neighborhoods they are raised different and different sports take precedence, like soccer, golf, swimming and baseball. Maybe Nick is right, its more financial, but upbringing is a big part of it as well.

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      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It would explain why Larry Bird was so good.  Besides talent, he grew up playing nothing but basketball.  It was drilled in him early and only evolved from there.

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      Mark Johannposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, financial aspect is a big part. I also observe in some third world countries that basketball is very popular sports.

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   mintinfoposted 10 years ago

   I know, I know. They were bread that way. Sired like horses they were for strenght to work the southern fields of 18th century America. Fields that were the genesis of Americas economic power and now world dominance. Now that those fields are no more these big strong Blacks have become part of the entertainment that tempers the psyche of the average American so that life seems more rewarding.

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      Mark Johannposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Bread or bred? Yes, black have stronger built body and good entertainers. I can see some in movies, singers like MJ, basketball players, Myke Tyson in boxing and our president.

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      mintinfoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the correction and by the way there is no logical answer to your question. (Strong and Black?) Does that imply that being very Black is synonymous with strength? Last time I checked the strongest people were Icelandic.

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