Raise the goal, I’m no longer impressed.

[Harry Hagan]

Back in the 60s when dunking was illegal, the starting lineup for my high school team would dunk during warm-ups to intimidate the opposition. They ranged in height from 5'11" to 6'3" and all five of them could easily dunk the ball on a 10' goal. I was impressed.

Today; when I watch the average* NBA player dunk the ball, I’m underwhelmed. Big deal, I could do that when I was a sophomore in high school.

I say, raise the goal and make dunking the ball special again.

How high should it be? 11', 11.5', 12', 12.5'

Let your voice be heard. VOTE !

*2007-2008 NBA season (average height 6'7" and making $65,317 per game, plus benefits and endorsements)

[David Christopher]

I say do away with the NBA and let them folks get a real job

[Ray Bell]

I have thought they should raise it for years. I just returned home from Arizona, and went to a Suns game while there. There is no doubt that everybody on that team, with the exception of maybe Steve Nash could stand flat footed and dunk. I voted 11.5.

[Derek Gilmer]

Lol, as someone who can't play basketball well I'm still impressed. Maybe the vertical height isn't so hard for them. But the acrobatics of jumping around people and various ball handling/positions while flying through the air makes me go WOW occasionally.

As for the "make them get real jobs". I used to loathe the idea of pro athletes getting millions a year for what they do. Then I realized they have a unique physical ability and talent to do that and it entertains people. Long before I petition for pro athletes to get a pay cut I'm going to petition for executives to get one. I'd rather see Jordan get 34 mil for being an amazing athlete than some 2 bit ceo getting 3 mil a year on the back of cutting the middle class jobs for people under him. Sorry.. off my rant now :)

[Paul Ryan]

My Dad has been saying this for years as well. Raise the Basket, Raise the basket.

Personally I dont care because I don't watch the NBA. I prefer college basketball. It is closer to the orginal game that was played. I don't know what you call the game the NBA plays but is isn't the basketball that I learned.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I say drop it to ground level and put a hockey goalie in front of it.... perhaps a sand trap or a few hurdles. ....Add a bit of spice to the game.
.

[Darren Null]

Spikes, dobermanns and rabid badgers.

[Jon Lanier]

When most guys can jump and 'elbow' the rim. It is time to move that puppy up... I say 12'.

[keith ouellette]

not that i care either way but from what I understand very few wnba players have been able to dunk a basketball (though any of them could probably beat me pretty easy) If the height was raised would the height have to be raised for the women also or would it be like the ladies tee in golf, or does it really matter?

OR

did I open a can of worms someone is going to feed back to me?

[John Schreiber]

. . . did I open a can of worms someone is going to feed back to me?
We go to the local community college women's games on occasion. They play a game which is basically like the basketball that a normal human can play. Watching the physical freaks who play for the pros is like watching another sport.

[Shawn Christ]

I agree, I'm for raising it. I lost interest in the NBA when the league lost Wilkins, Webb, Jordan, Drexler, etc. and picked up guys like Shaq "back your big butt in and throw down the ball" O'Neil. Kobe seems to be the only one today who has the old talent. And it seems you have to beg players to compete in the dunk contest anymore.

I'm not a basketball player, however, and often wondered if you raise it, where do you draw the line with the higher goal? Do you start in college? High school? Women? What height should kids start to learn on? It seems it would be a difficult transition, much different than extending the 3-point line.

Has there been any discussion about this at the NBA offices?

[Mitchell Andrus]

Tazerball.

Leave it where it is but give one member of each team a tazer.

pat. pend.
.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Tazerball.

Leave it where it is but give one member of each team a tazer.

pat. pend.
.


Love it!

I say leave it where it is, but clean up other rules. I agree completely with the 'Shaq' comment above. The offensive player backs a big butt into someone? Offensive foul. Offensive player dives wildly towards the hoop? Offensive foul. Player throws his body into someone as they "go up for the shot"? Offensive foul.

And this whole double-step leading to a two-footed landing and then a jump...umm, when I was growing up that was called TRAVELLING. Call it. Call it early call it often.

[Lee Schierer]

I voted to leave it alone. I have no problem with dunking. What I would like to see is a complete ban on hanging from the rim. It should be a foul that automatically takes away the basket and gives the opponent two shots.

[Mike Cutler]

The game of basketball has changed from the 60's, and even the 70's.
Many rules were changed, or relaxed to create a more entertaining product. Simply put the game was dying by the 80's. Attendance was down, TV revenue was down, interest was flat. It was going the way of hockey. Players like Bird, Magic and Jordan revitalized the game, and it became a more vertical, offensive game.

As for the no dunking of the 60's, prior to that there was no rule, but one very special player caused some rule changes during the 60's with his size and athletic ability. Only Bill Russel could match up against him;)

I don't care for the game as it's played today, but it's the product that people are paying for, and want to see. Leave it alone

[Zach England]

Electrify it.

[Myk Rian]

Didn't the NBA prohibit slam dunks, then renege when the fans complained?

[Kent A Bathurst]

..........As for the no dunking of the 60's, prior to that there was no rule, but one very special player caused some rule changes during the 60's with his size and athletic ability. Only Bill Russel could match up against him;).........

Mike, Mike, Mike.......no.......that's backwards........only HE could match up against Bill Russell, and then not often enough. :p


"Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain went at each other....142 times during the 10 years of their rivalry. Russell's Celtics won 85 while Wilt, who was with the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers during that period, was on the winning side 57 times."

and this....

"In the 10 years in question, Russell won nine championships to Wilt's one. "

I was in Grad school at MSU in the Magic era. I have always been amazed by what he, Bird, and MJ (to name a few) could do. But in my "golden era" of pro b'ball, it was Russell. Period.

Since those days, I only watch games where they play at both ends of the court. NCAA.

[Horton Brasses]

"Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain went at each other....142 times during the 10 years of their rivalry. Russell's Celtics won 85 while Wilt, who was with the Warriors, 76ers, and Lakers during that period, was on the winning side 57 times."

and this....

"In the 10 years in question, Russell won nine championships to Wilt's one. "


As a life long Celtics fan this makes me happy. In Wilt's defense though-he never had the teammates Russell had.

IMHO, basketball is, and pretty much always will be, a guard driven game. Great centers don't win championships without great guard play-whether it is a point guard, shooting guard, or the new thing a "point forward" (LeBron, Pippen, etc). I don't think the height of the rim makes much of a difference really. It is not the ability to dunk that makes a player great-it is how the use their feet and maneuver in traffic, etc. Dunks are really only for show and put backs. Most breakways end in a layup as they can get more elevation and separation from the chasers. A dunk requires them to stay on the ground longer. I think measuring a players horizontal leap might be more telling as to their finishing ability.

I don't watch much basketball these days but I do enjoy the game the way it is played right now. The NBA has improved a lot in the last few years. The years immediately following Jordan's retirement stunk. They have made rules changes to make it "flow" more and it has improved. It is worth watching again.

[Joe Shinall]

If the height was raised would the height have to be raised for the women also or would it be like the ladies tee in golf, or does it really matter?

I didn't even know the WNBA still existed :D Thought it was gone like the XFL.

[Roger Jensen]

I say leave it where it is, but institute a cumulative maximum height for the five players on the court at any one time, for example 32 feet. Then if you had a 7' guy you'd have to play him with a 5'6" guy to stay under the limit. It would make substitutions much more interesting.

Al McGuire suggested the rule change a long time ago.

Roger

[Greg Peterson]

Only college graduates should get to dunk. No diploma, no dunky.