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The jump shot in basketball is a technique where a player leaps into the air and shoots the ball in a high arc towards the basket. While it is unclear who first came up with the idea of jumping and shooting, the modern jump shot is widely credited to Kenny Sailors, who developed it in 1932 on his family farm in Wyoming. Sailors' jump shot was unique because he would shoot in his defender's face, which was considered unconventional at the time. Despite this, Sailors perfected the shot and went on to become the College Basketball Player of the Year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor of the jump shot | Kenny Sailors |
| Year of invention | 1932 |
| Location of invention | A family farm outside Hillsdale, Wyoming |
| Age of inventor at the time | 12 |
| Populariser of the jump shot | Hank Luisetti |
| Year of popularisation | 1930s |
| Inventor of the hook shot | Pranas Talzūnas |
| Year of invention | 1937 |
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What You'll Learn
The jump shot was popularised by Hank Luisetti in the 1930s
The jump shot in basketball was popularised by Hank Luisetti in the 1930s. Luisetti was an American collegiate basketball player who played for Stanford University from 1935 to 1938. He is considered one of the great innovators of the sport, developing the running one-handed shot, an early version of the jump shot.
Before Luisetti, it was considered proper form to shoot with a two-handed set shot. Players would put their feet fairly close together, bend at the knees, and launch the ball using both hands, without leaving the floor. Luisetti's one-handed shot debuted on the national stage at a highly publicised 1936 game in Madison Square Garden, where he showcased his unique ability to run, jump, and shoot in defiance of the traditional basketball style.
Luisetti's coach at Stanford, Johnny Bunn, designed a system that exploited Luisetti's skills. Bunn's strategy, combined with Luisetti's talent, led to a highly successful run for the Stanford basketball team. For 12 consecutive seasons, Luisetti either won a championship or played in the final game of a championship. During his time at Stanford, the team won the Pacific Coast Southern Division championship three years in a row.
Luisetti's one-handed shot grew in popularity and eventually replaced the static two-handed set shot. His innovative style of play inspired future basketball greats such as Earl Monroe, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. Luisetti's impact on the game of basketball was significant, and he is often credited with revolutionising the sport.
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Kenny Sailors is credited with introducing the shot as a concept
While it is unclear who first came up with the idea of jumping in the air and shooting a basketball, Kenny Sailors is credited with introducing the modern jump shot as a concept. In 1932, on a family farm outside Hillsdale, Wyoming, 12-year-old Kenny Sailors idolised his older brother, Bud, who had set up a basketball hoop on their old wooden windmill. Bud, who stood at 6-foot-5, would always outjump Kenny, who was only about 5-foot-7.
Kenny Sailors went on to become a basketball player himself and was named the College Basketball Player of the Year. However, he did not receive much recognition for his jump shot at the time. His first pro coach even discouraged him from using the jump shot. Despite this, Sailors persisted with the shot, and it began to gain popularity.
In the 1930s, it was considered proper form to shoot a two-handed set shot with both feet planted on the ground. However, Sailors' jump shot involved leaping into the air and shooting with one hand, a style that was considered crazy at the time. This new form of shooting transformed the game, as it was easier to make shots from a distance and more difficult for defenders to block.
While some sources credit other players, such as Hank Luisetti, with popularising the jump shot, Kenny Sailors is often regarded as the inventor of the modern jump shot. His contribution to the sport of basketball is significant, and some have even called for him to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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The hook shot was first performed by Pranas Talzūnas in 1937
The hook shot is an offensive basketball play in which the player is usually turned perpendicular to the basket and gently throws the ball using a sweeping motion of the arm further from the basket in an upward arc. It is performed with only one hand, while the other arm is used to create space between the shooter and the defensive player. The hook shot is quite difficult to block, and only a small number of players have mastered it more than a few feet from the basket.
The hook shot was first performed by Pranas Talzūnas, a member of the Lithuania basketball team, during the official games of Eurobasket in 1937. The team went on to become the champions of the tournament. Former Harlem Globetrotter Goose Tatum is often credited with inventing the hook shot, as he was known for shooting them without even looking at the basket. The hook shot later became a staple of many players in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including stars such as George Mikan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's second-place all-time leading scorer, was known for his trademark hook shot, which he could perform from a much greater distance from the basket than most players. This variation, known as the "skyhook", was coined by the team's radio announcer, Eddie Doucette, who remarked that "that hook was so high that it was coming out of the sky". The skyhook was almost never blocked and was only accomplished by extremely tall players.
The hook shot has evolved into different variations, such as the "jump hook", which has become a more popular style due to the increasingly physical nature of low post basketball. The jump hook has been employed by players like Shaquille O'Neal and other centers in the NBA. The hook shot has played a significant role in the evolution of basketball strategy and continues to be a valuable technique for players to create scoring opportunities.
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The game of basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891
Naismith was tasked with inventing a new indoor activity by the College's physical education superintendent, Luther Gulick, to entertain and provide an outlet for restless college students during the winter months when it was too cold to play football or lacrosse.
Naismith wrote the original rules of basketball in December 1891, and they were published in January 1892 in the Springfield College school magazine, The Triangle. The game was played with nine players per side, with three forwards, three centers, and three backs. It was played with a soccer ball, and players wore black, full-sleeve woolen jerseys and long gray trousers.
While Naismith is credited with inventing the game of basketball, he did not invent the overhead (or jump) shot. In fact, no one knows who first came up with the idea of jumping in the air to shoot. However, the modern jump shot is credited to Kenny Sailors, who started playing this way in 1932 when he was just 12 years old. Sailors' jump shot was different from the traditional way of shooting, where players kept both feet on the ground and used a two-handed set shot. Sailors' coach did not want him to use the jump shot, but it later became popularised by Hank Luisetti in the 1930s.
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The jump shot replaced the earlier, slower set shot
The jump shot is a basketball technique where a player leaps straight into the air, cocks the elbow of the shooting hand, holds the ball above the head, and launches it in a high arc towards the basket. The jump shot is also colloquially known as a 'jumper'. The jump shot is considered to have replaced the earlier, slower set shot, which was a two-handed shot where the player kept both feet on the ground and launched the ball with both hands from the chest towards the ceiling.
The jump shot was first introduced in the 1930s, with the basketball hall of fame unofficially acknowledging a player named Glenn Roberts, who used the shot to lead his high school to a Virginia state championship in 1931. Other early adopters of the jump shot include John Cooper of the University of Missouri in the early 1930s, and Conley Watts from the University of Utah. However, the person credited with popularising the jump shot is Stanford player and coach Hank Luisetti, who perfected a one-handed running jump shot.
The jump shot is considered to have transformed the game of basketball because it is the easiest shot to make from a distance and is more difficult for defenders to block. The development of the jump shot also led to the creation of new variations of shots, such as the "turnaround jumper", the "fadeaway", and the "leaning jumper".
While there is some debate about who invented the jump shot, with several players experimenting with the technique in the 1930s, many sources credit Kenny Sailors as the inventor of the modern jump shot. Sailors, who grew up on a family farm in Wyoming, is said to have developed the jump shot as a way to get shots off against his taller brother, Bud. Sailors went on to have a successful basketball career, being named the College Basketball Player of the Year, and playing in the Marines before becoming a coach. Despite his achievements, Sailors remains absent from the basketball hall of fame.
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Frequently asked questions
Kenny Sailors is credited with inventing the jump shot in basketball.
Kenny Sailors is said to have invented the jump shot in 1932 when he was just 12 years old.
Kenny Sailors invented the jump shot by jumping in the air and shooting the basketball. This was different from the traditional way of shooting with both hands and both feet on the ground.
While Kenny Sailors is credited with inventing the jump shot, it was popularized by Hank Luisetti.
