Physical acts of genius [sports gods]

[luka]

 

[IdleRich]

If you don't know who I am, you're about to... yeah you're the bloke got knocked out in three seconds flat by some fat guy.

 

[IdleRich]

How was he likely going to score rich? There was a man at the rim in good position, thats why he had to do a spin and shoot it backwards

Ah ok that's what I'm asking really, whether the skill made the goal possible or just enhanced it like a garnish. I was assuming that cos there was kinda two on one and they score from a fairly high percentage of attacks (what percentage of attacks, do we know?) he was just showing off, but to me, if it made the score possible then that is a much more impressive thing within the game... though fair play the thread is called Physical Genius not Sporting..

 

[IdleRich]

Classic.

 

[IdleRich]

He could have done it more simply, perhaps, but he went for something audacious and pulled it off

Isn't that part of the joy of sports? It's like a footballer taking on a volley from 30 yards

No it's not cos from thirty yards there is only one way to score, the difficult way, he does something amazing or it's no goal. The dunk when you're gonna score feels like he's past the goalie and does some keepie ups before sticking it in.

 

[IdleRich]

I suppose you might say a footballer wouldn't get it past the keeper and then do a fancy backheel into an open goal – but in Jordan's case that was all part of one fluid movement

Yeah that's exactly it.
But yeah the second one I'll give you. That's my ignorance of the game showing. That's why I was asking how likely he was to score.

 

[IdleRich]

In the case of the jordan spin lay up I dont think there were many other options. He could have passed it back to the other guy I guess

It's probably my ignorance of the game showing on that one. Sounds from what you're saying that that made the basket. I was basically trying to find that out and yeah you answered it fair enough. I stand corrected.

 

[IdleRich]

I can see an argument against the Carter dunk because it feels more like an act of pure spring power than an intricate, ingenious movement that only a high functioning sports brain could conceive of and execute

But that brings us into a whole discussion around what constitutes 'genius' in the physical realm

It does yeah. Especially cos the thread is about physical genius not sporting genius - I think that for that one it was physically amazing but within the sport it wasn't that special - as I see it - cos it didn't achieve anything extra by doing that.

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

 

[WashYourHands]

 

[IdleRich]

The defender does a good job of baiting jordan into trying to take the layup himself though with those slower gallop steps

Ah ok... so it's like. good defending... not good enough mate!

 

[version]

. . . not showing off as you score an easy one.

Nothing easier than jumping over a 7ft guy before getting to the basket . . .

 

[version]

I think that for that one it was physically amazing but within the sport it wasn't that special - as I see it - cos it didn't achieve anything extra by doing that.

You could say that for any move in the sport though. Any sort of basket won't achieve anything extra because it's still just a basket.

 

[Corpsey]

 

[version]

 

[Corpsey]

God bless America

 

[jenks]

Ganna smashing the hour record on Saturday. That was spectacular. Unfortunately YouTube footage doesn’t do it justice.

 

[IdleRich]

Nothing easier than jumping over a 7ft guy before getting to the basket . . .

You're missing the point though. Jumping over a guy is hard but it wasn't a necessary part of him scoring. From that situation it was expected that he would score, show-boating while he did it doesn't seem like sporting genius to me.

I mean I concede the difference between this one and the Jordan one where that spin lost the defender who looked as though he had it blocked off.

Does what I'm saying make sense? Cos this is my problem with a lot of basketball, the way the highlights I see tend to focus on stuff that doesn't really alter the game but which appears to be someone gilding the lily of a relatively easy score.

 

[IdleRich]

You could say that for any move in the sport though. Any sort of basket won't achieve anything extra because it's still just a basket.

But if it looked as though there was no way to score, but he did an amazing move that got a basket out of nothing then that move DID gain something extra cos without it they would have had nothing.

In football when we say a good goal we normally (with some exceptions) mean it was difficult. That strike was from thirty metres out and if it wasn't just right then no goal. Or It seemed as though he had nowhere to go but that trick lost those two defenders and then he scored. But if someone was past the keeper and he had an open goal and loads of time and he started doing some crazy free-style tricks before tapping it in it wouldn't go down in history as a great goal cos the skill wasn't necessary for him to score - although it might piss off the other team and fans.

Maybe I'm not saying this clearly cos the difference to me seems obvious. We could argue about whether or not that difference matters but I feel I'm failing to get across to some people what that difference is.