How the 3-point shot has changed basketball

Tom Haberstroh writes at ESPN,

LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

The body of an NFL linebacker. The speed of a track star. The vision and precision of a marksman. The basketball mind of a computer. All rolled into one package barreling right at you on his way to the rim.

How do you defeat such a modern-day Goliath?

With a slingshot, of course.

In the NBA, they call it a 3-pointer.

...By 1967, former NBA great George Mikan had become the commissioner of the NBA's upstart rival, the American Basketball Association. Desperate for fans, the ABA implemented the 3-point shot for the 1967-68 season to juice up the action, adopting it from the defunct American Basketball League, where it originated.

"We called it the home run, because the 3-pointer was exactly that," Mikan said in "Loose Balls," Terry Pluto's definitive history of the ABA. "It brought the fans out of their seats."

Stephen Curry and the Warriors used the power of the 3-ball to become a powerhouse in the NBA. AP Photo/Ben Margot

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Motivation

So now the media and some NBA stars are questioning the motivation of the Golden State Warriors players, despite the closesness of the first three games and their ferocious comeback in game three. It is true that LeBron James is showing a powerful desire to win. In fact, after game two he told reporters that he has an extra motivation that he is not going to reveal until after the series concludes.

Koby Bryant tweeted out that

"Cavs playing as if their life is on the line G.S playing as if they have more #NBAFinals down the line #ThisIsNOW#competitionIsEverything."

Where are you playing this week Koby?
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