Why do people say that all black people can play basketball?

Answer 1

There are a couple of reasons. The first is that many white people have little exposure to black people through any other means than their televisions, and one of the most common places where they see black people is when they are playing Basketball. Therefore it only makes sense to many of them that if most of the black people they see are good at basketball, then most of the black people in general must be good at basketball. The second reason is that, as with any stereotype, there is a kernel of truth to it. Basketball is historically one of the most accessible sports in America for low-income people because there are always basketball courts in parks as a result of how inexpensive and easy to maintain they are. Furthermore, basketballs themselves are very cheap. Also, you can play with really any number of people and it is still a fun game. Therefore, many urban poor, which many black kids are, can and do shoot hoops. Therefore, many of them do get very good, compared to white kids who are often on swim teams, tennis teams, etc. Of course, we all know that is not always true.