| BillyMac |
Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:59pm |
Purpose And Intent ...
George Mikan (DePaul 1942-1946, NBA 1946-1956), was a six foot, ten inch All-American center for the DePaul Blue Demons, and Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M 1942-1946), was a seven foot All-American center for the two time NCAA champion (1945 and 1946) Oklahoma Aggies. The dominating defensive play of these two tall centers around the basket led the NCAA to outlaw defensive goaltending in the 1944-1945 season, making it illegal for a defensive player to touch the ball on its downward flight to the basket. This was in reaction to Mikan and Kurland standing in front of basket swatting away practically every opponent’s shot attempt.
Bill Russell (San Francisco 1953-1956, NBA 1956-1969), the six foot, ten inch All-American center for the San Francisco Dons, was one of the most dominant basketball players of his time. Russell was known as the “Funneler” for guiding his teammate’s shots into the basket. Because of this, in 1956, both the NCAA and the NFHS enacted rules outlawing offensive goaltending, mainly as a result of Russell's tactic.
Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas 1956-1958, NBA 1959-1973), the seven foot, one inch, 275 pound All-American Kansas Jayhawks center’s impact on the game of basketball was reflected in the fact that he was directly responsible for several rule changes. When Chamberlain was playing college ball at Kansas, a favorite play by the Jayhawks was to lob the ball toward the basket, hoping simply to get it in the vicinity of the rim. Chamberlain would roll to the hoop, catch whatever came within his enormous wingspan, and slam it home. His rivals couldn't stop him, so the NCAA rules makers outlawed offensive basket interference, preventing Chamberlain from touching the ball in the cylinder above the rim. The NBA also instituted offensive goaltending, and offensive basket interference, rules in response to Chamberlain’s dominant offensive play.
As the game of basketball moves into the future rules must continue to evolve in response to changing player skills and changing team tactics. In the words of Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often".
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