The National Basketball Association, or NBA, is the world’s premier professional basketball league. As a sports fan, and a basketball player myself, I love the game of basketball. However, the NBA is a sad excuse to even carry the name of basketball in its name.

With little to no defense being played, vastly different rule changes, and very little team play involved, in this World of Sports spotlight, the NBA is not where the best basketball is being played.

Growing up playing basketball and falling in love with the game, basketball is a fantastic sport; both to be a part of as a player or to just watch for fun. The intensity, fast pace, and almost constant highlight reel plays keep everyone engaged. However, the NBA has become more focused on entertainment rather than the game itself.

Start with the clock; I have no beef with the four quarters rather than two halves, but with a shot clock that is one-third shorter than other leagues (24 seconds versus 35 seconds), it barely gives a team enough time to run an actual offense. The reason for this is to encourage a quick paced game with quick shots to keep the fans excited.

However, it takes away from the beauty of the game; executed a set offense to perfecting, even if it takes 34 of the 35 seconds is one of the most rewarding things to experience as a player. Essentially, the clock takes away from the team aspect and encourages whoever has the ball to show off their stuff.

Growing up playing basketball and falling in love with the game, basketball is a fantastic sport; both to be a part of as a player or to just watch for fun. The intensity, fast pace, and almost constant highlight reel plays keep everyone engaged. However, the NBA has become more focused on entertainment rather than the game itself. — Senior Aaron DeWolf

Besides just the clock, there are other subtle, but big differences in the rules that change the game. A jump ball, for instance, is normally granted to whoever has “possession” (or the team that did not get the ball last). However, in the NBA, it results in an actual jump ball, that more often that not features a 7-foot big man and a less-than-that guard or forward. Defensively, the NBA has a “Defensive three-in-the-key”, prohibiting defenders to camp in the zone and block shots (essentially to increase scoring).

When it comes to fouls, players are given six fouls, rather than five, and I have no idea why. Perhaps because the games are eight minutes longer (48 minutes rather than 40 in college) but I think it only allows players to stay on the court longer. Coaches are given seven timeouts rather than five, decreasing strategy of when to call timeouts and the drama when teams run out.

Lastly, for the most part, very few people actually try to play defense in the NBA, in large part because they are facing the best ballplayers in the world, but it leads to less effort and thus higher scoring games (which afterall that is what the NBA is geared towards).

Meanwhile, in collegiate basketball, while we may not see LeBron James score 30 a game, or a spectacular Chris Paul to Blake Griffin alley-oop, or see Stephen Curry break anyone’s ankles, you will see genuine, team basketball. Five players working together like a well-oiled machine, feeding off each others energy and key plays.

Fundamental defense, no cheap, offensive oriented rules, and an actual effort put in to every game is what you will find in NCAA competition. On top of that, every spring we witness the greatest tournament any sport has every managed to produce in March Madness, with Cinderella stories coming from no name schools year after year.

There is no doubt the best athletes play in the NBA, so if you are looking for entertainment and highlight reels plays, go ahead and watch it; but if you are looking for great basketball, close games that actually mean something, key strategies and an actual effort put into every game, look no further than the NCAA. Collegiate basketball is the essential, pure form of basketball at its finest, the way it should be played.

This wrier can be reached via Twitter: @ DeWolf14.

For more sports, read the Feb. 12 article, Boys soccer sport short: Minarets.