The Four Types Of Players

Contrary to popular belief basketball is not just a sport; in fact the way many players act off the court is the kind of attitude they bring with them to the game. Many times the way a player plays, or the way people rate his gameplay, is because of the way he acts on the court. I believe that there are four main types of players, and from these many more branch off. The four categories are, the ‘Ball Hog’, the ‘Talker’, the ‘Hot Head’, and the ‘Laid Back’. One of the most common ball players in the game are ball hogs. This kind of player tries to prove his skill by taking a shot every time he touches the ball; even if the player is being well guarded. Ball hogs are usually disliked by their teammates for their inability to pass; unless they

They use this method to break their opponent down and make them unfocussed. One of the worst kinds of trash talkers is one who doesn’t back his trash up; eventually most experienced players learn how to not pay attention to this kind of talker. One of the biggest talkers in NBA history is Kevin Garnett; in fact he is one of the only players who has no boundaries and gets as personal as possible, to win the game by distracting the player he’s guarding. Once in a game against the Knicks, Garnett told Carmelo something horrible about his wife. Carmelo was unfocussed because of it and it caused him to lose the game for the

Usually angered by ‘Trash Talkers’ and missed calls, these players will go crazy, which usually gets them technical fouls or ejections. Also, some players like, Dwayne Wade who is considered a hot head will take that anger and bring it out by having an explosive game. For example in 2009 during a very rough game with the bulls Wade steals the ball with seven seconds left to double overtime and wins the game by three with an on the run three pointer. Right after he runs to onto the scores table, jumps onto it and, screamed “this is my house.” In other instances being a hot head can be dangerous, there have been countless interactions between two hot heads which have led to fist fights. The worst one was ‘malice at the palace’; during the game Ron Artest got in a fist fight with a fan from the Detroit Pistons, causing the game to come to an early end, and resulting in his suspension from the leauge for a full season. Lastly the laid back player is the ideal guy to play with. This kind of player gets on the court plays his game and goes home. This kind of player doesn’t mind to give up a shot to get an assist, and they earn a lot of respect for it. These players know how to spot the talent on the court, and know how to get the best out of every teamate. An example of this player is Tim Duncan, which has earned two MVP awards, four championships, and