How to…

Many talented players are gifted with many talents, but it takes much practice and hard work in a game of basketball shooting around isn’t the only fun stuff you can do over the years there has been many unique ways to play with the skills of dribbling passing dunking shooting etc… if you want to learn from the best I can grant you that you will be as good as the pros. So here are some tips and styles of playing. http://www.articlesbase.com/basketball-articles/history-of-basketball-852857.html

For more help look into the videos…http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+do+tricks+in+basketball&qpvt=how+to+do+tricks+in+basketball&FORM=VDRE&adlt=strict%23

·        Basic Tips: Dribbling Dos and Don'ts

Use your fingertips, NOT your palm

At the end of practice, check your hand. If your palm is clean and your fingers are dirty, it means you're dribbling correctly.

Do not over dribble

Do not keep dribbling until you are no longer guarded. You should pass the ball as soon as you see a teammate become open. If you keep dribbling, your teammates will stop trying to get open after a while, as they know they won't get the ball from you.

Dribble by feel

Learn to dribble by feel so that you can always keep your head up to spot defenders and open teammates.

Push the ball hard and keep your hand low

Quick defenders have plenty of time to steal the ball, from the moment you push the ball to the floor until it bounces back to your fingertips. Hard dribbles shorten the time that you have no control over the ball and accordingly, minimize the risk of losing the ball to your defender.

Trick #2

The Spin

When you are in the open court and the defender has your path to the basket cut off, a spin dribble could be a smart solution. To execute a spin move (presuming you are right-handed), dribble hard with your right hand toward the defender, then stop with your left foot forward and planted. Make a swift 180-degree pivot off your left foot. Switch hands half-way through the rotation and dribble with your left hand instead. As soon as your back faces the defender, do another 180-degree pivot off your right foot and you will be facing the hoop again.

The downsides of this move: 1.) While spinning, you momentarily can't see the basket or cutting teammates. 2.) Other defenders may be able to read your spin and double team you in your blind spot. 3.) Doing a spin move too fast can throw you off-balance quite easily.

Trick #1

The Sweep

Imagine you are in triple threat position on the wing, and the defender has his left foot forward, which takes away your right-hand dribble. Now what would you do?

Here is where the sweep comes in. Quickly shift your weight from right to left. Sweep the ball across your belly, and then move your right foot outside of the defender's right foot, blocking him off. Then do hard left-hand dribbles or two, and you're on your way to the hoop!

But be careful not to hold the ball too far away from your body, for it will likely be poked away by the defender. When you become more proficient on this move, try throwing in a head fake to the right so that the defender may go off-balance and you can get even more room.

PASSING

A “nice pass" praise is probably one of the best compliments a player receives on the basketball court. A lot of basketball players try to get fancy with their passing, and more often than not, it confuses their teammates as well as the defense. The key to perfect passing is, in fact, simplicity. A good pass is smoothly handled and not forced. It is usually 12 - 18 feet (the longer ones can be easily intercepted) and is made with control.

·        Tips on Ball Passing

1.              Chest Pass - The chest pass is the most efficient way to throw the ball. Use it in order to get the ball to a teammate quickly when there is no defender in the way. You should step forward when you do this pass because you lose power by not stepping. However, passing without stepping is quicker. So just use your judgment to decide in each situation whether quickness or accuracy is more important.

2.              Bounce Pass - If you are in trouble with the ball and need to slip a pass by the defender to a teammate who can score, the bounce pass is the best option. It forces the defender to unnaturally tilt his torso in order to reach the ball as it is whizzing by, which makes it harder to intercept. It may look pretty cool to throw a bounce pass with fancy spinning, but that often brings a turnover instead of a good play. So unless you are Kobe Bryant or Chauncey Billups, try to resist the temptation and keep it simple.

3.              Overhead Pass - The overhead pass is the best way to pass the ball when the defense is in your face. You should also use it to feed the inside players and to get off an outlet pass after a rebound. Just remember that the pass is meant to be caught at chin level or above, so the receiver won't have to decide whether he should catch the ball with thumbs up or thumbs down. If the ball bears in on the receiver's waist, it basically handcuffs him.

·        SHOOTING

Shooting is probably the most fun thing about basketball for the fans and the most difficult thing for the players. Sometimes when you see an NBA player shoot the ball and miss, this question may come to your mind: "How could he miss that? He's so tall." The truth is a player's height has nothing to do with his capability as a shooter. Look at Shaq, for example. Despite playing in the NBA for so many years and being 7-foot tall, he still can't shoot free throws right. A successful shot is all in the techniques.

Must-Know Shooting Tips

1.              Stance - Your knees must be bent slightly. Make sure your feet point at the basket. Bent knees help create the right arc on your shot.

2.              Grip - Put your dominant hand in the center of the ball; your fingers should be spread and your palm should not touch the ball. Special trick: Use the air valve. It is not just a meaningless rubber dot, but a built-in guide for ball shooters. The air valve is at the center of the basketball, so putting the center of your hand on the air valve helps the ball go straight.

3.              Release - Thrust your fingers up and forward toward the hoop. While making a free throw, try to arc the ball 3 - 4 feet above the basket. (Shaq's free throws don't usually arc; that's why he has been failing as a free thrower.)

4.              Follow-Through - Your fingers should point downward after you release the ball. Leave your hand up there for at least a second to make sure you don't pull your hand back too soon.

5.              Balance - You should feel your body going just slightly toward the basket. If it's a jump shot, you should land on both feet at the same time.

6.              Lay-up - When you do a lay-up, keep your eye on the basket all the time. For a right-handed lay-up, jump off your left foot. For a left-handed lay-up, jump off your right foot. This allows you to get maximum height and best shields from the defense.

7.              Free Throw - Keep your dominant foot slightly in front. As you straighten your knees, release the ball. Finish with your heels off the floor and shift your weight on your toes. Your strong hand must follow through. Use your weak hand as a guide, but don't let it affect the shot.  http://hubpages.com/hub/Basketball-Dribble

Dunking a basketball has always been the source of awe for the basketball fanatics.

Sometimes, dunks can even determine the name of the outcome of a competitive and exciting game. That is why most basketball players nowadays are aiming to get the perfect dunking skills for them to be able to show off or flaunt.

However, doing such or attaining such a skill, requires a lot of discipline. That is because to be able to dunk better, the basketball player has to improve and work out his larger muscle group - the legs.

Jumping

It is very elementary. The knowledge that jumping requires agility and strength of the leg muscle group is a basic and very apparent and logical.

Jumping requires applying force to the feet, and to be able to jump higher, more force is needed.

That is why to be able to jump higher and dunk a basketball better, here are some useful tips that can be of great help to you, the basketball player.

1) Do leg exercises

There are a number of leg exercises. The good thing about it is that these exercises can be done even outside the gym. These exercises can be very simple and can be performed even if you are just standing in the bus terminal, waiting for the next ride.

a. Stand firmly on the ground. Then stand on your toes, down to the ground, and do the procedure repeatedly.

b. Jump up and down. It does not necessarily be higher.

c. Jog round if you have time. Jogging is not just a good leg exercise but also an effective cardiovascular activity.

d. Jump using a jumping rope.

e. Stretch your leg muscles every now and the. It does not only relaxes you but also improve the circulation in that muscle group.

2) Wear the best shoes when playing the game

There are good shoes out in the market nowadays that are very comfortable and ideal for basketball games. Basketball shoes currently are considered necessities in the lives of basketball players.

Sometimes, shoes add up to their confidence, which in turn boost agility, inspiration and then, performance. Imagine having a dunk, people will be staring at your shoes, so prepare for the occasion and wear the best shoes. Your shoes tell stories about you, don't you think?

Overall, jumping higher to dunk a basketball depends on your mood during the play. Open up your mind; be happy and relaxed while playing the game. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Jump-Higher-to-Dunk-a-Basketball&id=259628

Later on u should check out the slam dunk contest of each player that won… http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/slamdunk_year_by_year.html