The Patron Saint of Basketball
Contents
- The life and times of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The impact of the Patron Saint of Basketball on the game
- The legacy of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The top 10 moments of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 best players of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 worst players of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 best teams of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 worst teams of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 best games of the Patron Saint of Basketball
- The 10 worst games of the Patron Saint of Basketball
St. Jude is the patron saint of Basketball because he is the patron saint of lost causes.
The life and times of the Patron Saint of Basketball
Naismith was born in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. He was a gifted athlete, and played many sports including lacrosse, rugby, football, and track and field. In 1891, he invented the game of basketball while working as a physical education teacher at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. The game quickly gained popularity, and by the early 1900s was being played all over the United States
In 1936, Naismith was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame He died two years later at the age of 78. Today, there is a statue of him in front of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Hall of Fame is named after him, and every year they give out the James Naismith Award to the best male college basketball player in the United States
The impact of the Patron Saint of Basketball on the game
The impact of the Patron Saint of Basketball on the game cannot be understated. His influence can be seen in every aspect of the game, from the way it is played to the way it is coached. The game would not be the same without him.
The legacy of the Patron Saint of Basketball
The legacy of the Patron Saint of Basketball, Dr. James Naismith endures to this day. Born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada in 1861, Naismith was a pivotal figure in the development of basketball. He invented the sport in 1891 while working as a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Basketball quickly became popular and by 1893 it was being played at colleges and universities across the United States In 1904, at the St. Louis World’s Fair, basketball was introduced as an exhibition sport and then became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Today, basketball is enjoyed by people of all ages around the globe and is one of the most popular sports in the world.
Naismith’s legacy extends beyond his invention of basketball. He was also a pioneer in Physical Education and advocated for the importance of regular Physical activity for all people. In addition to his work at Springfield College he also served as Director of physical education at McGill University in Montreal, Canada from 1897 to 1899.
Naismith died in 1939 at the age of 78 but his legacy continues to live on through the game he invented and through those who carry on his work in Physical education
The top 10 moments of the Patron Saint of Basketball
In honor of His Airness, we’ve compiled the top 10 moments of the Patron Saint of Basketball. From his time with the Chicago Bulls to his days with the Washington Wizards Michael Jordan always dazzled fans with his incredible skills on the court.
1. The Shot: One of Jordan’s most famous moments came in the 1998 NBA Finals when he hit a game-winning shot over Bryon Russell to give the Bulls their sixth championship. The shot is considered one of the greatest clutch moments in NBA history
2. The Flu Game: In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals Jordan played through flu-like symptoms and scored 38 points to help lead the Bulls to victory. The game is widely considered one of Jordan’s greatest performances.
3. The Hang Time: In 1988, Jordan took off from the Free Throw Line for a dunk and hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. The moment is considered one of the most iconic in NBA history
4. The Block: In Game 6 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan blocked a shot by Reggie Miller late in the fourth quarter to preserve a Bulls’ win and send them to the NBA Finals
5. The Switch: In 1995, Jordan came out of retirement and rejoined the Bulls after spending some time playing baseball He made an immediate impact, leading the team to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals
6. The Comeback: After taking some time away from basketball to pursue a career in baseball, Jordan came back to basketball in 1995 and led the Bulls to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals that year.
7.”I’m Back”: In his first game back from retirement, against Indiana on March 18th, 1995, Michael uttered those famous words before hitting two Free throws to tie the game at 103 with :03 left on the clock. The result was a 105-103 victory for Chicago and MJ would go on to lead them allthe way to thier first playoff appearance since he had retired originally.. 8.”The Shot II”: October 16th, 1995; What many people call “the greatest clutch shot” in not only MJs career; but also “the greatest clutch shot” period.; occurred during MJs return season as he once again donned thenumber 23 for Chicago.; Game 1of teh Easterm Conference Semifinals against New York.;Chicago down 1 point with :04 seconds left on then clock & MJ took thenineteen footer that swooshed through th enets as time expired giving Chitowna 108-105 victory! Since that moment MJ would never again wear number 45 ashe had during his Baseball Career & would solidify his place among th egreats as “The Greatest Of All Time!”. 9.”56 Points vs Orlando”: On January 16th 1999; during his second season sincereturning from retirement; Michael went OFF against Orlando.; He put up anastounding 56 points which was good enough for 4th best single gameperformance! 10.”The Last Shot”: Fittingly enough; it was against Utah that MJ hit “The LastShot” of his illustrious CAREER! This happened during teh 1998 NBA FinalsGame 6 with :05 seconds left & Chicago down 86-83 against Utah.; Asdefender Bryon Russell lunged towards him; creating just enough space formj t0 make “The Shot”; he rose up & hit nothing but net giving teh Buls their6th Championship 92-88!!!
The 10 best players of the Patron Saint of Basketball
In honor of the Patron Saint of Basketball, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best players in the sport. From Lebron James to Steph Curry these are the players who have dominated the court and brought joy to fans around the world.
The 10 worst players of the Patron Saint of Basketball
In order to be the worst player of the greatest basketball player of all time, you have to be pretty bad. Here are the 10 worst players that have ever been lucky enough to share a court with Michael Jordan
1. Kwame Brown – Brown was the number one overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft but he was never able to live up to the hype. He spent 12 seasons in the league, averaging just 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game
2. Tyson Chandler – Chandler was a decent player during his prime, but he was never able to reach the same level as Jordan. In 23 seasons, he’s averaged 8.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game
3. Bryon Russell – Russell was a good defender and a decent scorer, but he was never able to create his own shot like Jordan could. In 12 seasons, he averaged 10.0 points per game while shooting just 43.5% from the field.
4. Bill Wennington – Wennington was a serviceable big man during his career, but he was never able to put up big numbers like Jordan could. In 15 seasons, he averaged just 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1% from the field.
5 werent as good as jordan
6-10 doris burke
The 10 best teams of the Patron Saint of Basketball
1. The Golden State Warriors
2. The Los Angeles Lakers
3. The Boston Celtics
4. The Houston Rockets
5. The Philadelphia 76ers
6. The Miami Heat
7. The Milwaukee Bucks
8. The Brooklyn Nets
9. The Portland Trail Blazers
10. The Utah Jazz
The 10 worst teams of the Patron Saint of Basketball
The NBA regular season is now in Full Swing and teams are starting to show their true colors. Some squads have been impressive, while others have been downright awful. In honor of the basketball world’s Patron Saint, we take a look at the 10 worst teams of the season so far.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
With a record of 2-9, the Lakers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league. They have struggled to find an identity under first-year Head Coach Luke Walton and look like a team that could potentially be in for a long season.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have also been a huge disappointment, especially after they made the playoffs last year. They currently have a record of 3-8 and are struggling to find consistency on both ends of the floor.
3. New York Knicks
The Knicks have been equally as disappointing as their crosstown rivals, the Lakers. They are currently 2-9 and haven’t looked like a competitive team at all this season. It’s going to be a long year for Knicks fans.
4. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have been one of the surprise teams in the league this season, but they’ve still managed to rack up a losing record of 5-7. They’ve shown some flashes of potential, but they’ve also been quite inconsistent so far this year.
5. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have actually been one of the more competitive teams on this list, but their record still sits at 4-8. They’ve shown some promise under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson, but they’re still clearly a work in progress.
6. Orlando Magic
The Magic are another team that has shown some improvement this season, but they’re still far from being a contending team. They currently have a record of 5-7 and will likely finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings once again this year.
The 10 best games of the Patron Saint of Basketball
The 10 best games of the “Patron Saint of Basketball” according to ESPN:
1) Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers February 10, 1985
2) Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons April 16, 1987
3) Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers June 7, 1988
4) Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers June 3, 1989
5) Portland Trail Blazers vs. Chicago Bulls June 2, 1992
6) Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks June 21, 1994
7) Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls May 28, 1998
8) Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers May 12, 2002
9) San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons , June 15, 2005
10) Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks , June 12 , 2011
The 10 worst games of the Patron Saint of Basketball
In his long and storied career, the Patron Saint of Basketball has had some lows along with his highs. Here are the 10 worst games of his career, in chronological order.
1. On November 19, 2006, the Patron Saint of Basketball scored a then-career-low 8 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets
2. On January 3, 2007, the Patron Saint of Basketball scored a still-career-low 7 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
3. On February 27, 2007, the Patron Saint of Basketball had one of the worst statistical games of his career, shooting 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range en route to 4 points in a loss to the Detroit Pistons
4. On December 11, 2007, the Patron Saint of Basketball missed 12 of 13 shots from the field and finished with just 5 points in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers
5. On March 12, 2008, the Patron Saint of Basketball Shot 3-for-14 from the field and scored 9 points in a loss to the New Jersey Nets
6. On December 23, 2008, the Patron Saint of Basketball missed all 11 shots he attempted and failed to score a single point in a loss to the Charlotte Bobcats It was just the second time in his career that he had been held scoreless in a game.
7. On January 2, 2009, the Patron Saint of basketball shot 2-for-11 from the field and scored 6 points in a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks
8. On November 21, 2009, the Patron Saint of Basketball had another 0-point game against Charlotte, this time going 0-for-9 from the field as part of a 109-87 drubbing by the Bobcats. It was one of only two games that season in which he failed to make a single shot fromthe field (the other being an 0-for--3 performance against Detroit on January 16).