Ageism in Basketball

Ageism in Basketball

Ageism in basketball

Ageism is a social issue that occurs a lot these days all over the world. Ageism is defined Webster’s dictionary as prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group usually against the elderly but can also happen to youth as well. Ageism can happen in any place but one place it happens a lot but isn’t mentioned would be the game of basketball. Many former players will downplay and disrespect the way the game has changed from when they played to today. These retiree’s have very similar viewpoints on the transformation of what the game has become which says players aren’t as skilled or they aren’t as physically or mentally tough to handle the era in which they played. They begin to question the toughness of these players, their love for the game and don’t respect the skill level of these players in the NBA today.

A large amount of these former players have questioned the toughness of the current players comparing it to the toughness of the game in the 80’s and 90’s. These players in this current era are arguably just as tough or even tougher. Many former players take this stance due to the way the game is being called by referees these days. Fouls and contact is being enforced, such as flagrant fouls and technical fouls being handed out more frequently then they have been in the past. Therefore it leads to players in general being considered “soft”. But in actuality the only reason the game is softer is because the league has made an effort to actually call more fouls. So the games don’t end up into full on melees like they did in the old days.

One of many ways former players talk down on the game and players today would be how they challenge players’ love of the game. One thing is for sure any athlete that makes it into a professional league of any sport has to love the game. Because at that point you’ve been playing this game basically your whole life.
Belief in this theory that they don’t love the game as much as...

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