The image (left) shows a diagram of the dimensions of a standard high school basketball court.
Equipment: Basketball Shoes
Along with being designed to be visually appealing, basketball shoes are designed for safety as well. In the early stages of basketball, people wore flimsy, unsupportive Converse shoes with flat soles. However, this design was proven ineffective; as injuries mostly pertaining to the ankle occurred more frequently as the game evolved. Today, basketball shoes are designed to keep up with the fast pace and intensity of movements in the sport. They have a high top that allows to lace up all the way for more ankle support. When the laces are tied up, it increases in tension, which then stabilizes the ankle. This allows the surrounding structure of the shoe to act as the force that prevents the ankle from moving in a direction that will cause the joint to roll over, thus causing an injury. The law of inertia applies in this situation because if the ankle was to move in a way which will cause injury (constant velocity in a certain direction) it will not stop unless acted upon by an opposing force (the rigid material of the top of the shoe). Another feature of basketball shoes is the non-slip, rubber sole of the shoe. In order to push off, jump, run, or perform any type of movement which requires the foot to push off the ground, friction is required. To increase the amount of friction, basketball shoe designers use rubber which is a material that has a greater force of friction, especially when it comes in contact with a hardwood floor. Other additional features include lighter more durable material used to construct the shoe in order to allow the player to be more comfortable and be physically lighter on the court. This means that the player is then moving with less mass which then increases the players ability to move at greater speeds with ease. The light, breathable material also allows for the athlete's foot to be comfortable and reduce the amount of kinetic energy being transformed into thermal energy when playing for long periods at a time.