INTRODUCTION

Basketball has been around for so long and people don’t talk about it enough and about its true origin. WMS students talked about basketball and its history and to see if that spark for basketball is still there in other people. Many people had different opinions about basketball. Some even stated that they don’t know much about it so we figured that with our interview responses we can spread awareness about the sport of basketball so everyone can know and love the sport with their own experience.

Many people wonder what makes basketball a loveable sport. The only true answer is players who dedicate their lives and careers for our entertainment. Many basketball legends like Lebron James or Micheal Jordan had major impacts on the lives of many peoples’ lives. Their impact spread throughout the world. But you have to remember that Jordan and James aren’t the only legends. For example there are a bunch of basketball greats like Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Kevin Durant , Scottie Pippen and many more. 

OPINIONS AND INTERVIEWS

But even though players like those are the legends of basketball, they may not be everyone’s favorite players. Here’s what WMS 8th grade students had to say about their all time favorite players. WMS student athlete, Mikey Reyes, had to say a lot about his favorite player Stephen Curry, “I think Curry is a fantastic player and he can do anything on the court. His three pointers are fantastic and I feel like nobody can match him when it comes to that”. 

Another WMS student and a great friend of ours, Marco Rivera, had to say this when it came to his favorite, “I feel like Bill Russel is so underrated. He won more than 10 rings with the same team, not to mention he is also a hall of famer. He plays well on the paint and isn’t too bad from mid-range so I feel like he’s a well balanced player when it comes to that.”

Obviously when there’s basketball players there has to be basketball teams that the players are a part of. Some of the best ranked basketball teams of all time are the New York Knicks , Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The most loved team in New Jersey are the New York Knicks according to bashabears.com .

But you may be asking what are the favorite teams of students at WMS.  Here’s what WMS 8th Grade student, Jerimiah Alicea, had to say about his favorite team the Dallas Mavericks, “I just really like the Mavericks and I like them even more now since Kyrie Irving just signed with them. Any team that Kyrie is on is great, dude.”

The GOAT debate in basketball is very controversial. There’s only one question floating around “Lebron or MJ?” We feel like MJ is a bit better considering that MJ was playing with better competition. Lebron has it easy these days since he’s top of the league. Meanwhile, Jordan managed to stay the best when he was facing competition like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and others. Let’s see WMS students’ opinions on this controversial question. WMS student Stason Jackson stated, “MJ is better than Lebron. Kobe does his moves and other players look up to him. Jordan did get crossed up once by AI but he’s still the GOAT. He is just him to be honest.”

Another WMS student, Idris Brooks, said,  “Lebron is a touch better than Jordan. I feel like Lebron is so cold with everything he does but still manages to be this funny, down to life type of guy. Lebrons personality is what makes him a great player, he’s a family dude but still manages to be great at the sport he loves. I feel Jordan was just focused on becoming the best and hadn’t shown his true personality as much at least on tv. I’m sure if I met Jordan he would be a great person.”

We asked WMS students if they would play professional basketball if they had the chance to, here’s what some had to say.  Marco Rivera stated, “I would for sure play basketball if I had the chance. I just feel like you have to be consistent so I’m not sure how I’ll be able to keep that up.” But Tommy Oatman, another 8th grade WMS student said, “No I don’t think it would matter. I feel like having basketball as a job would be nice and all but it’s just constantly moving around and I just don’t know if I’m that type of person to be constantly moving around like that.”

CONCLUSION`

We learned that people have different opinions on different aspects of basketball and that not everybody thinks the same when it comes to the sport. Not everybody likes the sport of basketball and that people could care less about it. Basketball and its legacy will forever live on, if not in the world it would be here at WMS. The impact the sport has on people will be unforgettable, and the players’ sacrifices won’t be forgotten.