Of the 6 major sports, does basketball require the least amount of skill?

[QUOTE=tpols]To me, they are all close. You will have to put in years and years of your life to master any sport's skillset..[/QUOTE]

Absolutely.

What's with all the posts ordering the sports 1 through 6? Does 1 mean it requires the least skill or the most?

You know what I think? I think they are all kind of hard to pick up, and they all require a different type of skill for a different part of the body, which makes it unreasonable for comparison. How's that?

[QUOTE=Sarcastic]Hakeem Olajuwon played soccer and was supposedly a great goalie.

There's a better chance of Lebron James being able to make it as a soccer player than a short soccer player making it to the NBA.[/QUOTE]

yes a soccer GOALIE. your argument makes zero sense. you really think noone of the million soccer players on this planet wouldn't manage to become one of the best nba players for at least one season?
Ever heard of Steve Nash? A 2x mvp (even though he just deserved one).
A short guy that manage to become the best player for 2 seasons.

Hakeem, lebron or any of those big nba superstars would never become one of the best soccer players.
goalie? lol gtfo who cares

For what it's worth, watching someone try to shoot or play basketball who has never played before looks the most silly to me respective to all the sports mentioned. I think it's a lot easier to throw a baseball/football or kick a soccer ball and not look like a complete retard than to shoot a basketball without looking handicapped.

[QUOTE=Simple Jack]For what it's worth, watching someone try to shoot or play basketball who has never played before looks the most silly to me respective to all the sports mentioned. I think it's a lot easier to throw a baseball/football or kick a soccer ball and not look like a complete retard than to shoot a basketball without looking handicapped.[/QUOTE]
Here, is a professional athlete, who plays basketball for a living, trying to throw a baseball.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usyNyn9Ang8[/url]

1. Hockey - a brutal and fast-paced game that requires peak athleticism AND peak skill.

2. Baseball - purely a skill game. Hitting a baseball is still THE hardest thing to do in all of sports.

3. Basketball - in the middle of the pack. A guy can be a great athlete and play basketball, but skill is what separates the pros from everyone else.

4. Football - another brutal game that requires great skill, but it really doesn't require a peak athlete to be successful

5. Soccer - a game for people who can run in bursts non-stop for hours on end; some skill is required but fatigue more than anything can really kill your chances to stay active through all 90+ minutes.

6. Golf - yeah, some skill goes into this but all the golf I've ever played in my life had a great dash of luck tossed into it, more so than any other game I've played.

Either of these activities still requires years of practice and dedication to master in the end. I put them in something resembling a hierarchy, but they actually aren't THAT far apart from each other.

[QUOTE=Derka]1. Hockey - a brutal and fast-paced game that requires peak athleticism AND peak skill.

2. Baseball - purely a skill game. Hitting a baseball is still THE hardest thing to do in all of sports.

3. Basketball - in the middle of the pack. A guy can be a great athlete and play basketball, but skill is what separates the pros from everyone else.

4. Football - another brutal game that requires great skill, but it really doesn't require a peak athlete to be successful

5. Soccer - a game for people who can run in bursts non-stop for hours on end; some skill is required but fatigue more than anything can really kill your chances to stay active through all 90+ minutes.

6. Golf - yeah, some skill goes into this but all the golf I've ever played in my life had a great dash of luck tossed into it, more so than any other game I've played.

Either of these activities still requires years of practice and dedication to master in the end. I put them in something resembling a hierarchy, but they actually aren't THAT far apart from each other.[/QUOTE]


[IMG]http://savingtheskyhook.com/files/2011/06/miami-heat-facepalm.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Sarcastic]Hakeem Olajuwon played soccer and was supposedly a great goalie.

There's a better chance of Lebron James being able to make it as a soccer player than a short soccer player making it to the NBA.[/QUOTE]I agree. LeBron has the skills to make a great goalie.

[img]http://nsa28.casimages.com/img/2011/08/12/110812022459610861.gif[/img] [img]http://nsa28.casimages.com/img/2011/08/12/110812022740972890.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=Theoo's Daddy]golf and it's not even close.. :oldlol:[/QUOTE]

You obviously have never played golf

And soccer? L. Kizzle is a dumbass Soccer is way more difficult than basketball. I will go with baseball, hitting a ball requires hand eye coordination but so does a proper release in basketball.

[QUOTE=Derka]1. Hockey - a brutal and fast-paced game that requires peak athleticism AND peak skill.

[B]2. Baseball - purely a skill game. Hitting a baseball is still THE hardest thing to do in all of sports.
[/B]
3. Basketball - in the middle of the pack. A guy can be a great athlete and play basketball, but skill is what separates the pros from everyone else.

4. Football - another brutal game that requires great skill, but it really doesn't require a peak athlete to be successful

5. Soccer - a game for people who can run in bursts non-stop for hours on end; some skill is required but fatigue more than anything can really kill your chances to stay active through all 90+ minutes.

6. Golf - yeah, some skill goes into this but all the golf I've ever played in my life had a great dash of luck tossed into it, more so than any other game I've played.

Either of these activities still requires years of practice and dedication to master in the end. I put them in something resembling a hierarchy, but they actually aren't THAT far apart from each other.[/QUOTE]


Hitting, is just one aspect of the game. Defense has to be played too.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XH0A-fT7Zw&feature=related[/url]
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVSFDJ9ABJc[/url]

what so hard about being an NFL linebacker except being big and strong?

[QUOTE=Kensta]Yes, all those are sports too. Just because they don't require you to run around as much doesn't mean they aren't sports.[/QUOTE]

Obviously chess is the sport that requires the most skill. There can be no debate about this.

Professionally.. MAYBE

No other sport has as many bums and busts as the NBA. Thats for damn sure. Hell, there was a point in the late 90s early 2000s where half the league were bums that happened to win the genetic lottery of being 6'6+

anyone acting like golf is not the most skilled is a straight up fool. it takes 5 years of playing daily to become a scratch golfer on a regular course and that's if you're lucky. on a pga course? hell i'm a scratch golfer and i would be lucky to break 80 on a good day

[QUOTE=28renyoy]anyone acting like golf is not the most skilled is a straight up fool. it takes 5 years of playing daily to become a scratch golfer on a regular course and that's if you're lucky. on a pga course? hell i'm a scratch golfer and i would be lucky to break 80 on a good day[/QUOTE]
Golf is a pure skill 'sport' though.. it isn't like basketball, or football, or hockey, or baseball.. There is no running, no jumping, no battling for position. It's just.. how accurate you are with your swing. It's like me running in here and claiming billiards takes more skill than basketball. No shit.. because it is an activity that isn't dependant on your body type.. just how much you play it and develop your game.

[QUOTE=tpols]Golf is a pure skill 'sport' though.. it isn't like basketball, or football, or hockey, or baseball.. There is no running, no jumping, no battling for position. It's just.. how accurate you are with your swing. It's like me running in here and claiming billiards takes more skill than basketball. No shit.. because it is an activity that isn't dependant on your body type.. just how much you play it and develop your game.[/QUOTE]

Strength/Athleticism does play a part in golf. You take 2 players of equal skill and the decided factor will be distance, which is an accumulation of several things.

[QUOTE=28renyoy]Strength/Athleticism does play a part in golf. You take 2 players of equal skill and the decided factor will be distance, which is an accumulation of several things.[/QUOTE]
It plays a part.. that pales in comparison to all of the other sports you mentioned.

As a terrible ball handler, i'd say that basketball requires a lot of skill.

Football requires the most skill. It's the best sport by far too.

Golf requires the most skill.

[QUOTE=The Iron Fist]:roll: You really have no clue as to what you're talking about.[/QUOTE]


In relative terms, Baseball has the least physical requirements, besides golf of course. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible speed. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible strength. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have even marginal stamina.

Basketball requires the least amount of coordination of the 6, but they're all difficult to master. In basketball, if you have a respectable amount of athleticism and coordination, you can have a solid career. Football is harder because you need to be able to stop on a dime, be agile, be freakishly strong, and know how to avoid tackles. Going from least amount of skill to highest, this is how I would rank them:


Basketball- the only sport where you can get by sheer athleticism alone
Baseball- the hardest part is batting, but fielding doesn't require as much coordination unless you're an infielder
Football- you need to be athletic, fast, agile, strong, and able to take hits. Wideouts are by far the most skillful and coordinated
Golf- very difficult considering you have to play against the wind and you have to know which clubs to use
Soccer- easily the most physically draining of the 6. You have to be in fantastic shape, fast on your feet, extremely coordinated, and be able to take the physicality
Hockey- the only reason I rank this as harder than soccer because you have to do everything soccer players do while on skates. You have to be fast, agile, able to skate backwards, skate while controlling the puck, watch for hits, take hits, bat pucks out of thin air with a fairly thin blade, and block 100 MPH shots.

[QUOTE=bdreason]In relative terms, Baseball has the least physical requirements, besides golf of course. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible speed. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible strength. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have even marginal stamina.[/QUOTE]
Wait.. weren't some of the best hitters of the past couple generations all on juice? Is that just some huge coincidence that the strongest guys all happened to be the best?

[QUOTE=tpols]Wait.. weren't some of the best hitters of the past couple generations all on juice? Is that just some huge coincidence that the strongest guys all happened to be the best?[/QUOTE]


Home run hitters aren't necessarily the best. McGwire was cracking 65-70 home runs, but he was known throughout his career for having a low average, striking out a lot, and being an average fielder at best.

[QUOTE=tpols]Wait.. weren't some of the best hitters of the past couple generations all on juice? Is that just some huge coincidence that the strongest guys all happened to be the best?[/QUOTE]

But they were also going against juiced up pitchers, so it evens out.

Anyway, Outside Linebackers are probably some of the best athletes on the planet. Fast, strong, agile, and ****ing huge.

[QUOTE=D.J.]Basketball requires the least amount of coordination of the 6, but they're all difficult to master. In basketball, if you have a respectable amount of athleticism and coordination, you can have a solid career. Football is harder because you need to be able to stop on a dime, be agile, be freakishly strong, and know how to avoid tackles. Going from least amount of skill to highest, this is how I would rank them:
[/QUOTE]
How does basketball have the least amount of coordination? You have to be able to dribble a ball while moving, shoot a ball, pass a ball etc. All of those things require major coordination.. both hand eye and in general. It's much easier for an athlete to pick up football than it is for them to learn how to perform all of basketball's skills from scratch. I mean seriously.. what do you need to learn for football? How to run? How to jump? How to catch a ball? The basics are very easy to pick up. Go watch a guy try to play basketball for the first time in his life.. he will look mentally handicapped.

And all of the things for football you listed are true for basketball players too. You need to be able to stop on a dime and be agile too. Have you ever heard of cutting? Where you literally run one way, stop on a dime, and run the other way to get open? Players actually do it MORE in basketball than they do in football since the only players that cut in football are WRs and EVERYONE in basketball has to cut and move without the ball. And being strong, fast etc. aren't skilled based things.. they are athleticism.

The problem is you are looking at the guys who only got by on their height alone. Look at a guy like Chris Paul. Dude is 6'0, a buck 80, and he is one of the best basketball players of this generation. How? He's got near perfect coordination. He's a dead eye shooter, a precision passer, a masterful dribbler, and he can sync all of these abilities together with flawless decision making. Pure skill. Basketball players can get by on athleticism alone but that doesn't diminish how hard it is for the ones who dont that master all of it's finer points.

[QUOTE=tpols]How does basketball have the least amount of coordination? You have to be able to dribble a ball while moving, shoot a ball, pass a ball etc. All of those things require major coordination.. both hand eye and in general. It's much easier for an athlete to pick up football than it is for them to learn how to perform all of basketball's skills from scratch. I mean seriously.. what do you need to learn for football? How to run? How to jump? How to catch a ball? The basics are very easy to pick up. Go watch a guy try to play basketball for the first time in his life.. he will look mentally handicapped.

And all of the things for football you listed are true for basketball players too. You need to be able to stop on a dime and be agile too. Have you ever heard of cutting? Where you literally run one way, stop on a dime, and run the other way to get open? Players actually do it MORE in basketball than they do in football since the only players that cut in football are WRs and EVERYONE in basketball has to cut and move without the ball. And being strong, fast etc. aren't skilled based things.. they are athleticism.

The problem is you are looking at the guys who only got by on their height alone. Look at a guy like Chris Paul. Dude is 6'0, a buck 80, and he is one of the best basketball players of this generation. How? He's got near perfect coordination. He's a dead eye shooter, a precision passer, a masterful dribbler, and he can sync all of these abilities together with flawless decision making. Pure skill. Basketball players can get by on athleticism alone but that doesn't diminish how hard it is for the ones who dont that master all of it's finer points.[/QUOTE]


Because basketball is the only sport where you can get by on athleticism alone. Not every player is that skilled and coordinated. Freakish athleticism can get by. Look at Ben Wallace, Shaq, Rodman, Jamario Moon, Charles Oakley. Not every freakishly athletic or strong player will be an all-time great, but you can get by. No other sport has that luxury.

Oh and another thing I just remembered.. You know how when you see a below average NBA player like, Joel Anthony, for example playing in an NBA game and you think damn how is it that this guy sucks so bad? He cant shoot, dribble, pass etc. you have to remember he's going up against the best basketball competition in the world. I guarantee you even the worst, most awkward looking NBA players would run circles around any of us in shooting, dribbling, and passing drills. You put Joel on the post against anyone here and he looks like Hakeem Olajuwan.. these guys do have more skill thanthey show.

[QUOTE=tpols]Oh and another thing I just remembered.. You know how when you see a below average NBA player like, Joel Anthony, for example playing in an NBA game and you think damn how is it that this guy sucks so bad? He cant shoot, dribble, pass etc. you have to remember he's going up against the best basketball competition in the world. I guarantee you even the worst, most awkward looking NBA players would run circles around any of us in shooting, dribbling, and passing drills. You put Joel on the post against anyone here and he looks like Hakeem Olajuwan.. these guys do have more skill thanthey show.[/QUOTE]


Compared to us, of course. But we're not professional athletes. Point is you don't need to be terribly skilled in basketball. It's also the easiest to pick up.

[QUOTE=D.J.]Because basketball is the only sport where you can get by on athleticism alone. Not every player is that skilled and coordinated. Freakish athleticism can get by. Look at Ben Wallace, Shaq, Rodman, Jamario Moon, Charles Oakley. Not every freakishly athletic or strong player will be an all-time great, but you can get by. No other sport has that luxury.[/QUOTE]
No.. First off, RBs, WRs, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, TEs, CBs.. pretty much every position other than QB can get by on pure athleticism alone. The most skillful thing any of these guys do is catch a ball.. which is laughable compared to the skills needed for basketball.

I can point to Randy Moss, or Bo Jackson, or Ray Lewis.. the list goes on and on. There are SO many football players that got by on their incredible combinations of speed and strength that its not even funny.

And Shaq didnt get by on athleticism alone.. he was one of the most skilled centers of all time at his size. Great foot work, assemblage of post moves, touch on his shots etc.

[QUOTE=D.J.] It's also the easiest to pick up.[/QUOTE]
You're a moron.:oldlol:

[QUOTE=tpols]No.. First off, RBs, WRs, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, TEs, CBs.. pretty much every position other than QB can get by on pure athleticism alone. The most skillful thing any of these guys do is catch a ball.. which is laughable compared to the skills needed for basketball.

I can point to Randy Moss, or Bo Jackson, or Ray Lewis.. the list goes on and on. There are SO many football players that got by on their incredible combinations of speed and strength that its not even funny.

And Shaq didnt get by on athleticism alone.. he was one of the most skilled centers of all time at his size. Great foot work, assemblage of post moves, touch on his shots etc.[/QUOTE]


Football is 10x more physically demanding than basketball. That qualifies as a skill.

And Shaq got by more because of his size, not his skills. He didn't have many moves or a sweet touch. Someone like Hakeem or Admiral had post moves and a sweet touch.

[QUOTE=tpols]You're a moron.:oldlol:[/QUOTE]


Tell me a sport that's easier to pick up than basketball.

Why is golf in this, how is that a sport? 80 year old men can play it. :oldlol:

Baseball, all you do is stand around and wait to catch a ball, "Holy shit that's fvcking hard". :oldlol: Hitting a baseball i'll admit is hard though.

I'll say baseball and football ( Throwball lol ). How hard is it to tackle somebody? c'mon. lol

Basketball and Soccer ( real football ) take the most skill, and yeah i've played both.

[QUOTE=bdreason]In relative terms, Baseball has the least physical requirements, besides golf of course. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible speed. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have incredible strength. You don't [I]HAVE TO[/I] have even marginal stamina.[/QUOTE]


No sport other than racing sports require incredible speed. No sports other than weightlifting require incredible strength. But to say speed and strength aren't necessary in baseball, is just outright stupid. To go on and say you don't even have to have even marginal stamina is the most ridiculous thing said in this thread.

I can tell that the only baseball you've ever played, was on PS2.

[QUOTE=D.J.]Football is 10x more physically demanding than basketball. That qualifies as a skill.
.[/QUOTE]
Wait.. so for basketball, too many guys get by on their size and athleticism alone, but when they do the same in football it somehow qualifies as a skill. :oldlol: Bro you make no sense.

Shaq being a 300lb monster who could run and jump is just 'lucky' for his athleticism while Randy Moss who was a state champion sprinter in his first year ever doing track was 'skilled' for possesing that ability.

Im not replying to you in this thread again so dont even bother responding.

[QUOTE=The-Legend-24]Why is golf in this, how is that a sport? 80 year old men can play it. :oldlol:
[B]
Baseball, all you do is stand around and wait to catch a ball, "Holy shit that's fvcking hard". [/B]:oldlol: Hitting a baseball i'll admit is hard though.

I'll say baseball and football ( Throwball lol ). How hard is it to tackle somebody? c'mon. lol

Basketball and Soccer ( real football ) take the most skill, amd yeah i've played both.[/QUOTE]


You really have no clue how easy the pros make it look, especially outfielders. lol "stand around". Baseball players have to go from 0 to 60 in an instant to make the correct play. Also, they have to make a decision on what angle to take, all in a matter of less than a second, then they have to make a play based on the situation at hand. Sure, they may stand around between pitches but it doesn't mean thats all they're doing for the entire game.

[QUOTE=tpols]Wait.. so for basketball, too many guys get by on their size and athleticism alone, but when they do the same in football it somehow qualifies as a skill. :oldlol: Bro you make no sense.

Shaq being a 300lb monster who could run and jump is just 'lucky' for his athleticism while Randy Moss who was a state champion sprinter in his first year ever doing track was 'skilled' for possesing that ability.

Im not replying to you in this thread again so dont even bother responding.[/QUOTE]


It doesn't take a ton of skills to outmuscle someone or dive for loose balls. Charles Oakley made a living doing that. There's no such thing as that in football.

Randy Moss has to fend off defenders, be extremely fast and agile, all while trying to catch a football.

I played basketball, baseball, and football growing up. You're not replying to me anymore? Good, GTFO because you don't know what the f*ck you're talking about.

[QUOTE=The Iron Fist]You really have no clue how easy the pros make it look, especially outfielders. lol "stand around". Baseball players have to go from 0 to 60 in an instant to make the correct play. Also, they have to make a decision on what angle to take, all in a matter of less than a second, then they have to make a play based on the situation at hand. Sure, they may stand around between pitches but it doesn't mean thats all they're doing for the entire game.[/QUOTE]


Outfielders have it a bit easier than infiedlers, but it is hard. Picture being an infielder and A-Rod hits a 120 MPH line drive to you.

[QUOTE=The-Legend-24]Why is golf in this, how is that a sport? 80 year old men can play it. :oldlol:

Baseball, all you do is stand around and wait to catch a ball, "Holy shit that's fvcking hard". :oldlol: Hitting a baseball i'll admit is hard though.

I'll say baseball and football ( Throwball lol ). How hard is it to tackle somebody? c'mon. lol

Basketball and Soccer ( real football ) take the most skill, and yeah i've played both.[/QUOTE]

You're a dumbass if you think 80 year olds playing it means its not a sport or difficult... have you ever tried it? It's like what some said, pure skill.