2 Player Basketball Games

By: Sportspitt

Not only are 2 player basketball games a lot of fun and great way to pass some time, but they are also a fantastic way to fine-tune your individual shooting and ball handling skills.

Some of the most well known 2 player games are H-O-R-S-E, where the rules tend to differ in certain places but generally is played by both players taking turns shooting difficult shots, and each time a player misses their shot they gain a letter, then the first player to have all five letters, H-O-R-S-E, loses.

There is also Twenty-One (or sometimes Eleven when time is an issue), where the players use a free-throw competition to determine who gets the ball first. That player then takes the ball beyond the 3 point line, and attempts to drive-in to make a shot. Once a shot is made (for 2 points), that player then shoots free throws (worth 1 point each) until he misses, at which point the ball control is up for grabs and if the other player takes possession he must dribble out beyond the 3 point line and the cycle begins again.

Around The World is another popular 2 player game. This is where players take turns shooting from a semi-circle of positions around the Key with the first player to reach the end winning. For skilled players, the shooting positions are often placed around the 3 point line for a greater challenge.

And finally there is always your basic free-throw competition where each player takes a set number of free-throw shots, for example 10, and the player who sinks the most baskets wins. A great way to add some fun and challenge to this is to declare that a set number of the shots attempted must be 'hook shots', or jumpers. For example, a round of 10 shots could be made to include 5 free-style shots, 2 hook shots and 3 jumpers all from the free-throw line.

The bottom line is there are plenty of ways for 2 people with a ball to have fun and practice their skills, so get outside and start shooting!

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