Kenny Sailors: Originator of the Jump Shot

Today's Rocky Mountain News has a profile on Kenny Sailors, the man who is credited with pioneering the jump shot.

Sailors led Wyoming to the 1943 NCAA National Championship, played in the old NBA and coached girls high school basketball for years. But his greatest contribution to the game was the introduction of the "jump shot."

The 5'10" Sailors grew up on a Wyoming farm, playing basketball every day against his 6'5" older brother. Tired of getting his shot swatted back into his face by his taller brother, Sailors began to experiment with leaping as high as he could before releasing his shot. This allowed him to shoot over his brother, and avoid getting his shot blocked.

Sailors eventually perfected the "jump shot," and became one of the great basketball players of his era. Sailors developed the jump shot in the 1930's, when guards shot set shots and post players shot hooks. Sailors' jump shot was nothing short of revolutionary, at the time.

The introduction of the jump shot was a seminal moment in the history basketball. And it served as an evolutionary stepping stone in the development of the modern game.

Yet despite his importance in the evolution of basketball, Kenny Sailors is not a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

More in Kenny Sailors here. And here (Kenny Sailors' official website).