As anyone who has ever played or coached the game will tell you, real basketball is played on hardwood courts.
SportCourt is a surface that nobody prefers, yet it is primarily used in the bj-league. Only a handful of venues have used wood courts in the bj-league; they are the exception to the rule.
And that's a darn shame. The sport is best played on wood, where natural movement is visible, and where the body best absorbs contact.
As I wrote in a Hoop Scoop column for The Japan Times, bj-league star Mikey Marshall commented on the issue back in 2008:
"I'm not a fan of anything other than wood," Marshall said. "At times it was very difficult to stay on your feet, which is a big part of playing basketball. At this time the players have no say on the matter, however if there was a players union something could be done about the court situation.
"The commissioner (Toshimitsu Kawachi) has done a great job with the league, but if I were in his position I would definitely go to the hard wood or even ask the players what they would prefer."
Furthermore, former league MVP Wendell White (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix, Kyoto Hannaryz, Oita HeatDevils forward) offered his opinion during a 2010 interview.
His blunt message: Get rid of the league's synthetic sport courts. He said the surface causes additional pain and strain on players' knees and other assorted body parts, implying that every player would prefer to play on traditional hardwood courts.
The bj-leaue has outgrown its humble beginnings, what with never-ending expansion for nearly a decade now. But still it relies on gimmicks, including the playing surface, to cut corners and save money. As a result, few people believe the league is doing everything it can to present itself as a genuine pro league.
* * *
Here's the entire column on Marshall:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sp20080921eo.html
SportCourt is a surface that nobody prefers, yet it is primarily used in the bj-league. Only a handful of venues have used wood courts in the bj-league; they are the exception to the rule.
And that's a darn shame. The sport is best played on wood, where natural movement is visible, and where the body best absorbs contact.
As I wrote in a Hoop Scoop column for The Japan Times, bj-league star Mikey Marshall commented on the issue back in 2008:
"I'm not a fan of anything other than wood," Marshall said. "At times it was very difficult to stay on your feet, which is a big part of playing basketball. At this time the players have no say on the matter, however if there was a players union something could be done about the court situation.
"The commissioner (Toshimitsu Kawachi) has done a great job with the league, but if I were in his position I would definitely go to the hard wood or even ask the players what they would prefer."
Furthermore, former league MVP Wendell White (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix, Kyoto Hannaryz, Oita HeatDevils forward) offered his opinion during a 2010 interview.
His blunt message: Get rid of the league's synthetic sport courts. He said the surface causes additional pain and strain on players' knees and other assorted body parts, implying that every player would prefer to play on traditional hardwood courts.
The bj-leaue has outgrown its humble beginnings, what with never-ending expansion for nearly a decade now. But still it relies on gimmicks, including the playing surface, to cut corners and save money. As a result, few people believe the league is doing everything it can to present itself as a genuine pro league.
* * *
Here's the entire column on Marshall:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sp20080921eo.html
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