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Interest in basketball in the United States peaks around three big championship events in the spring: the college championships for men and women in late March or early April and the professional playoffs that climax in June. But that’s only organized basketball. Informally, the game has been learned by generations of American youths on city playgrounds and schoolyards, on lonely baskets put up in backyards of rural homes and on the driveway basketball courts of countless suburban homes. Here, playing on teams, going one-on-one against a single opponent or just shooting the ball hour after hour alone, some of the finest basketball players have developed their skills to incredible levels. But as brilliant as some players may be, basketball requires coaching to teach athletes skills they are deficient in and to blend a group of individuals into a team. Styles of coaching vary. Some coaches favor an extremely disciplined game with each player having a specific role while others are more inclined to let their players dictate the style of play.