How popular is basketball in Morton?

Basketball season in the NBA just had one of the most exciting competitions ever with its addition of the “in-season tournament.”

Basketball originated in Canada when a Canadian inventor was tasked to create a sport that could be played during the fall/winter. When James Naismith created basketball, the rules were a lot different than they are in today’s game. The NBA is the most prominent professional basketball league in the world with 30 teams and about 400 players in the league. With so few spots in a roster, basketball is one of the most difficult sports to be professional in.

In a recent survey conducted by Morton students, 44 out of 100 Morton students have watched an NBA basketball game (44%).

“My favorite basketball team would have to be the Chicago Bulls because I am from Chicago,” said senior Nicholas Guzman after being asked about his favorite basketball team.

But not only is the birthplace a factor in someone’s favorite team.

“Well, since my favorite player is LeBron James, my favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Alejandro Ulloa, senior in Morton.

Those are the two biggest factors in someone’s favorite team: birthplace and a certain player. This holds true not only for casual viewers and fans but also for basketball players themselves.

“My favorite team has to be the Grizzlies even though they haven’t been doing great this season because of Ja Morant, my favorite player,” said Isaiah Shepard, a varsity basketball player for the Morton team.