Basketball, the Philippines introduces the 4-point shot. A revolutionary rule that is also splitting the NBA, Kerr: “We are not at the circus”

If walking through the streets of Bologna ask someone if they have ever heard of the 4 point shot in basketball many would respond by recalling the historic basket of May 31, 1998 with which Predrag Danilovic he resumed the Fortitude in the derby, giving an unexpected championship to the Virtus in game 5. At 68-72, the Serbian champion invented a conclusion from almost 8 meters with 16″ to go with which he tied the score thanks to the 3-point basket and the extra free throw earned with the foul suffered by Dominique Wilkins while shooting. He also scored that one, tying the score and restoring his teammates’ morale before going on to take the tricolor in overtime (86-77).

Philippines, first professional league to experiment with 4-point shot

That episode from history could soon turn into prehistory since there are those who have decided to give the 4-point shot its own rule without relegating it to the classic 3+1. They are the Philippinesthe land of basketball par excellence in South-East Asia, which after having experienced it in the last two editions of theAll Star Game localehave announced the introduction of a new line in the league for the 2024-25 season. It will be positioned at 8.23 meters from the basketabout a meter and a half further than the current Fiba line for the 3-point shot (6.75 m) and almost a meter beyond the NBA line (which in the central part of the court reaches 7.25 m). Since in the final part its perimeter will coincide with the baseline, the 4-point shot will not be possible from the corners, unlike the 3-point shot. The official debut will take place in the Governor’s Cup, which precedes the actual championship. This year in the local All Star Game Robert Bolick signed the first 5-point play in history, thanks to a basket with a foul drawn with 17″ to go.

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4-Point Shot, NBA Has Been Talking About It For Years

For many years in the world of basketball there has been talk of introducing this new rule to further spectacularize the game. It was discussed especially in Nba with the increase in the skill of long-distance shooters. In 2014, the managers, seeing the increasing statistics of the so-called “deep 3-point shot”, that is, shots from over 8.15 meters, had thought of putting a new line but then nothing more was done. Although even a great champion of the past like Larry Bird he was in favor: “When I was playing I never practiced 3-pointers. But these guys today all do it. The game has changed, there’s no doubt about it. Every 10-12-15 years something new comes along. You put the 4-point line and people will start practicing. And once they start practicing, they’ll get better. Maybe after 5-10 years, everyone will be shooting 4-pointers. The game is evolving.” But there were also those who were decidedly against it like the current national team coach Steve Kerrthen coach of the Golden State Warriors, who replied: “The 4-point line? No, I wouldn’t suggest that. It would be like a circus: You win a stuffed animal for scoring 4-pointers. I think that’s crazy, honestly.”

The semi-professionals of Aba and 3×3 basketball are already adopting it

The experiment in the Philippines will logically be watched with great attention by other professional leagues. It is not excluded that, if it were to prove positive for the game, the innovation could also be adopted in other nations. In reality, the 4-point shot is not an absolute novelty. The first League to have equipped itself with a similar regulation was the American semi-professional championship Aba which since 2000 has awarded 4 points for each basket made from beyond the half court. The Big3, the league of 3-on-3 basketballprovides 3 circles 9.10 meters away from the basket that count as 4-point shooting areas. Nbs and WNBA, moreover, have experimented with it during various editions of the All Star Game.

It took the 3-point shot nearly 40 years to spread around the world

It will be interesting to see if the 4-point shot will have a shorter evolution than the 3-point shot which took almost 40 years to be adopted worldwide. Initially tested in 1945 by the NCAA, it was officially introduced in the Abl (American basket league) in 1961, then in the ABA (1967), later by the NBA itself (1979) and finally by international basketball (1984). In 1994 the NBA decided to reduce it to 6.75 because the scores had dropped; however, given the exasperated attempts of the teams from the arc, 3 years later it went back on its steps and brought it back to the current 7.25.