But Laimbeer was arguably a trendsetter who showed his contemporaries that you didn't have to limit your vision of basketball to the rules, on or off the court.
In contrast to modern basketball, the original rules did not include what is known today as the dribble.
Half-court basketball is the rule on one nearby block, as one basket has been smashed and gravel covers the ground.
In basketball, traveling violates the rules.
After his sophomore year (1966 67) at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the dunk shot was banned from collegiate basketball, ostensibly because the rules committee felt, again, that the big men had too great an advantage.
People trying to play basketball without knowing the rules might commit a lot of unnecessary fouls, but they also might just pick up the ball and carry it down the length of the court, or hurl it into the stands.
I'm trying to think of a sport besides basketball where intentionally violating the rules is a viable strategy.
My suggestion to you and your British readers is, don't even venture an opinion about the rules of basketball.
But the players of this city do not always have the patience or the resources to follow the rules of basketball — or, for that matter, any other endeavor.
You can put together a potentially winning bracket without knowing the name of a single player, coach or team mascot — or even the rules of basketball.
McNay Art Museum, Jan . 11-13 mcnayart.org AUSTIN The Fundamentals The end of the football season can be trying for fans, but attending "The Rules of Basketball," the exhibition closing Sunday at the Blanton Museum of Art, might help ease the transition between sports.
