由浅入深的英语阅读材料(2)

　　由浅入深的英语阅读文章(三)

　　NBA tricks of the past

　　THE NBA never stops changing. There are many techniques that have become outdated or become "endangered" over the years. Let's have a look:

　　Underhanded free throw 端尿盆式罚篮

　　Today's NBA players laugh at it. But Rick Barry, NBA star player of 1970s, had a 90 percent success rate using the technique.

　　Barry famously offered to tutor Shaquille O'Neal, who has the worst free show record in the NBA. But O'Neal declined (婉拒). "I would rather struggle on free throws than shoot them from his knees with two hands," he said.

　　Shot blocking specialists 盖帽专家

　　Blocked shots, those in-your-face-stuffs, are fun to watch. Shot blockers were popular in the 1970s and 80s. Retired player Hakeem Olajuwon tops the all-time shot blocking list. But now, blocking shots isn't in fashion. Sure, players still knock away shots. But the idea of a team having a player whose main contribution is blocking shots would be unheard of in today's NBA. This is the era (时代) of multiple (多样的) talents, not of specialists.

　　The Skyhook　大勾手投篮

　　Skyhook was the special weapon of NBA great Abdul-Jabbar: he used his forearm (前臂) to create room between himself and the defender, his left leg lifting him off the ground, while his right hand softly releases the shot. Perfect. But despite its huge success, the skyhook has disappeared, mainly because players nowadays want to attack the hoop (篮筐). They've watched Michael Jordan so they want to play the game that way.