There are lots of rather quirky beliefs floating around in our history. Some people take them very seriously while others just roll their eyes. Lots of people believe, for example, that breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder or seeing a black cat are longtime bad luck makers. These are examples of how, in our culture, we can find superstition threaded into every age group and every generation.

Basketballers are no different. Besides you and your buddies who congregate under the Gorilla Basketball Goal in your yard. You may even know some of the quirks and superstitions each of you maintain.

What you might not know, however, is that some of the most prominent members of the NBA approach the game with their own personal set of superstitions and good luck rituals!Fans might assume that guys with these incredible athletic talents don’t need good luck charms. They already have everything they need- from stamina, height and accuracy to making free throws and slam-dunk shots in their sleep.

Actually, a few NBA players wouldn’t think of sprinting across the court without completing certain rituals beforehand.

•  When Jason Kidd of the Nets stands at the free throw line, he kisses his fingertips and points at the basket before he takes a shot.
• The night before the big game, Jason Terry, a Dallas Maverick, sleeps in his opponent’s shorts. By the way, these aren’t the shorts fans would purchase. Terry slumbers only in the other team’s authentic, game day shorts.
• As a pre-game ritual, Lebron James of the Cavaliers makes a habit of slapping chalk powder on his hands and tossing it up in the air. James is also a habitual fingernail biter.
• Some people might never guess that an all-star like Michael Jordan would feel he needed a pre-game good luck charm. But he did. And that’s why on game days, Jordan religiously wore the North Carolina Tar Heels shorts from his college days under the red and black Chicago Bulls attire. When Jordan then requested longer shorts to better accommodate his habit of wearing two pairs of shorts, the action led to a new fad for all NBA players- longer, baggier shorts.

We could probably fill one of the walls here at the Basketball Goal Store with the rituals and superstitions that fill basketball history – from college to the NBA stars. What’s yours?

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team