Go to any basketball court anywhere in the world and you will see guys imitating Kobe Bryant best moves and LeBron James’s crazy dunks. And you will always see guys still walking and talking like “Mike”. I have played basketball over the United States and the world including Germany, Italy, France, Jamaica, Mexico and Australia. I can tell you that no matter where you play you will find one of the following personalities on the court.
The Trash-talker: This type of player usually has some skill, but only at the highest level will you find a trash talker who is actually the best player on the court. But usually the classic trash talker opens his mouth to brag about a crazy shot he made or to mock an opponent's failed attempt to connect. The thing the trash-talker loves to do most is get inside his opponent's head. After all, when his opponent starts bricking shots and playing with less physicality, it makes the trash-talker look a lot better than he really is.
The Star: The star is, quite simply, the best player on the court. He usually arrives to the park with a posse and finds a way to let everyone know he has arrived. This guy usually get other guys involved at first but will eventually take over the game. This guy loves when someone steps up to challenge him, then it is on. He loves this because he can show why he's king of the court. Somethimes the star will talk some trash but be mostly lets his game speak for itself.
The Loner: Usually you see this guy shooting shots on his own until someone invites him to play. This guy is pretty good. Doesn’t have a lot of flash but is usually plays with a quite intensity. He has the potential to make big plays, only he doesn't demand the ball enough. He rarely opens his mouth to talk trash or argue a call.
The Cheater: This guy will call a foul on every play, raise his voice to intimidate and is usually one of the worse all around players on the court. The Cheater wants to be the man, but he is not. He usually barks out orders to his teammates, hogs the ball and will argue every call.
The Sidekick: This is the guy you need on your team. He is the guy who is usually friends with the star player and he will keep the peace. He knows everyone on the court and is the voice of reason. When things get a little crazy on the court, this guy will usually say something like "Hey, are we here to play basketball or what?" The sidekick is a pretty good player, he is not flashy and he knows the game. He tends to be the friendliest player on the court and makes a conscious effort to involve the loner in the team's play.
Next time you're out on the courts shooting hoops, keep an eye out for these types of players. Maybe you won't run into all of five types at once, but odds are you'll see at least a few of them out there. Who knows, maybe you'll even recognize some of these characteristics in yourself (let's just hope you're not the cheater).
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