Sue Bird's Passion For Basketball

Indeed, who would have predicted ten years ago? That women's basketball so wildly popular? Well, people who have watched the growth of women's basketball in southern states. The enormous campus arenas at the state universities in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia filled to capacity for home games. The coach for Tennessee's Lady Vols, Pat Summitt. She has achieved nearly godlike stature in that state. A tall, striking figure on- and off-court. Summitt commands respect. Wherever she goes. My youngest sister, Ruth Ann, who lives in Tennessee. She says you can't near Pat Summitt after a game. "You'd think she a rock star," she says. Although Geno Auriemma, Coach of the UConn women's team. Not yet enjoying that kind of support. He rapidly becoming

Indiana loves its basketball. When driving throughout the state, basketball hoops are part of the scenery, dotting thousands of barn doors, garage doors, and driveways along the way. Hoosiers are passionate about this sport. In the book, Drive the Story of my Life, by Larry Bird with Bob Ryan, talks about his life growing up in Indiana and his storied career as a basketball player. Bird was born into a hard-working, lower class family in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Throughout his life Larry Bird was fueled by hard work and perseverance to become one of the greatest basketball players of our time.

Larry Bird played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for thirteen seasons, all with the Boston Celtics, from 1979 to 1992. Larry Bird coached the Indiana Pacers for three years, from 1997 to 2000. He was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden, Indiana. Larry Bird is a noteworthy person because he changed the game of basketball as a player, coached the Indiana Pacers, and overcame adversity as a child.

One of the most well know players of all time is Jennie Finch. Finch, like many great players, started playing the game very early on in her life at the age of five. Just a mere three years later she pitched her first ball. During Finch's high school career she was known for being an athletic girl. Her senior year she was Captain of her volleyball team, basketball team, and softball team. Finch lettered in softball in all of her high school years and most recently in 2016 Finch’s high school, La Mirada, retired her jersey number, the first time for a softball player.

First, Angela Johnson’s book “Bird” is like a poem that flows together, but sometimes confusing. The author words her book very well, she uses different events in the story to describe different themes. Bird, thirteen year old, is the main character in the book. Bird is very young but she takes on many difficult task on her own, but after she makes friends everything is easier for her.

On April 24, 1996, women’s basketball announced “We Got Next” as the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to begin in June 1997. Since that day in 1996 there have been many firsts for the WNBA: Val Ackerman -- the first president of the WNBA; Sheryl Swoopes -- the first player signed to the WNBA; Cynthia Cooper -- the league’s first Most Valuable Player; the Houston Comets -- the first WNBA Champions; Lisa Leslie -- the first WNBA player to capture all three MVP awards (regular season, All-Star and Championship) in one season.

On May 6, 1999, Bill Russell, the man who redefineed the center by his unique shot-blocking, man-to-man defense and rebounding ability, and contributed to his team Celtics by his outstanding performance and remarkable leadership, finally attended his own retirement ceremony after 27 years of retirement. This great man in the history of American basketball refused to have a ceremony in 1972 in Boston, the city he perceived as the “racist city”, because of his concern of discrimination. On February 15th, 2011, Bill Russell received the Medal of Freedom from President Obama for his contribution to civil rights movement. Obama described him as “the man who stand up for the dignity of all men”. From being insulted, being refused in restaurants during tournaments, intimidating the world with his long arms and strong opinions, to challenging the politics of sports and fighting against racism, it has been a long way for Bill Russell, for American basketball, and for American society. Basketball, one of the major sports in America, presents the civil rights breakthrough both in professional games and in colleges. The book “King of the Courts: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution” by Aram Goudsouzian and “Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball” by Tom Graham, and Rachel Graham Cody, reveal the story of how two of the greatest players in the history of American basketball, broke the color barriers in basketball and foster the

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is known by many people as the best basketball player ever to play the game. Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, helping them obtained six championship titles in eight years. Now remembered for being the best and the most popular athlete in the sports world. He had a great influence on the people. "Jordan was just another great legend" (Stein 2). Being a role model on and off the court Jordan showed his abilities to play the game and his kindness towards other people, especially those who admired him the most. "His widespread appeal to fans has helped keep basketball one of the world's most popular spectator sports" (Stein 1).

He was known for his man to man defense. He helped Boston Celtics win eight consecutive championships. Bill Russel could not be doing anything off the court physically, so he won on the court. Demolishing all his opponents and winning tons of games. He was a superstar with a superstar salary. Bill Russel had won eleven rings in total and becoming the first black coach for Boston Celtics. Everything he has accomplish was historical. It was a wonderful thing to see happen for an African American because Africans usually don’t break history in this sport but Bill Russel

The Women’s National Basketball Association, more commonly known as the WNBA, is a professional basketball league consisting of 12 teams spanning across the United States. The league was founded in 1996 but didn’t officially kick off until 1997. While it’s not the first major women’s professional basketball league in the United States, the WNBA is the only league that has received full backing from the National Basketball Association, more commonly, the NBA. Now in its 20th season under the direction of league president Lisa Borders, the regular season is played from June to September with the playoffs spanning through the remainder of September into the middle of October. Although they have the full backing from the NBA, there are still a few discrepancies between the two leagues. Even though WNBA games are not as exciting as NBA games, the players of the WNBA deserve equal pay because the team mindset makes the game more challenging, players continue to show their hard work in the offseason by playing overseas, and they inspire young girls by providing for charities as a result of their work.

Pat Summitt. That name for some people means nothing. But to hundreds of others, it means everything. She was the main reason why women’s basketball became so competitive and why people started to watch it. Pat Summitt was never a loser and her tremendous win to loss ratio proves it. In the four decades that Summitt was part of the University of Tennessee she had a 1098-208 record. Famous women’s college basketball coach, Pat Summitt, victories and losses always contained courage, determination, and powerful leadership.

She was 75 years old, married to Colonel Aurelius Pescia Alberga, and had no children. However, she was later honored for her perseverance in changing the way that people went about sports. (They) named a baseball field named after her to show how both girls and boys could play the sport together. She was inducted into the woman’s sports hall of fame and is honored in the “Woman in baseball” exhibit. You might also find her in the Negro Leagues section in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown New York (Hubbard 26). These are all reminders of her legacy of her pursuing her dream, persevering through the hardships that she endured along the way, and proving to all people how women should be allowed to play baseball. This makes her a great role model for young girls around the

Chick King was born “Charles Gilbert King,” on November 10th, 1930 on a small farm in Paris, Tennessee. He grew up in his early life with six brothers, him being the youngest, had to outperform to make his mark. King went through Grove High School playing football and basketball; he won football awards for All-State team, All-Southern, and the All-American High school Football teams in 1949, the same year that the Grove Blue Devils

Lynette Woodward was born in Wichita, Kansas on August 12, 1959. She is famous for playing great basketball. Did you know that she was the first women to play on the Harlem Globetrotters. When she gone to college at KU in 1978. She would usually score 26 points per game and by the time she was out of college she had scored 3,649 baskets. She gone to high school at Wichita North high school and won 2 state basketball titles. Lynette retired in 1999 and became an assistant coach for KU. In 2004 Lynette was added to the basketball hall of fame.She was given WBCBL award in