If you are a novice who wants to make it big someday, or even if you are a coach who is ready to start up a career with a new team of players, you may find the following easy ways to learn basketball very beneficial.

First and foremost, you must learn to master the basics. As with any other sport, you must be trained extensively in the most fundamental skills before you can learn the harder tricks of the trade. In basketball, there are two main skills that you must learn: offensive skills and defensive skills. Offensive skills include shooting, passing, and dribbling the ball. It may also be beneficial to master the most basic shots, like the jump shots, lay-ups and free throw shots. On the other hand, defensive skills include defensive rebounding, blocking shots and stealing the ball. Some of these skills you can probably learn alone, while others will probably require at least one other person to play with.

For the novices out there, another one of the easy ways to learn basketball is to find a great coach or a mentor you can learn from. Do not wait for someone to take you under his or her wing—go find that someone and get ready to learn. Do not be afraid of getting criticized, because it is in criticism that you will probably learn from the most. Additionally, having a coach early in your training will help you reduce the number of mistakes you can end up doing habitually.

Third, practice, practice, practice! Remember that this is the very thing that brought the greatest legends to their current state. You can learn a lot of things in theory, but, if you never put all that knowledge into practice, you will never get anywhere. Practice as much as you can. Do some basic shooting and dribbling when you are alone. Practice when you are with a friend. Practice when you are with your team. The key is to never give up, until you have gotten everything right. In this sport, repetition just may be your key to perfection.

Lastly and most importantly, enjoy what you are doing. There is no point in trying to learn basketball if you do not find yourself having fun. Learn for the love and the joy of the sport, lest it becomes a chore.

Follow these four easy ways to learn basketball, and you will soon find yourself getting into bigger leagues, and possibly, even in a lifelong career.