Final answer:
Newton's third law is shown in basketball when a player passes the ball as the force exerted by the player's hand on the ball also results in an equal and opposite force exerted on the player's hand by the ball. This concept applies to all interactions in the game, including catching and bumping, showcasing the continuous application of Newton's law in sports.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the game of basketball, when the ball is passed from one player to another, Newton's third law of motion is demonstrated. The law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the player throws the basketball, their hand exerts a force on the ball forwards; simultaneously, the ball exerts an equal and opposite force on the player's hand. This is also true when the ball is caught: the player's hands exert a force on the ball to stop its motion, and the ball exerts an equal and opposite force on the player's hands.
Suggesting that one needs to consciously perform complex physics calculations to make an accurate pass is misunderstanding practice and skill's role in sports. A basketball player, through practice, intuitively understands the physics of passing without explicitly thinking about it in those terms.
Thus, whether it involves pushing off the ground to move, or two bodies impacting each other, as in the case of a thrown ball or a casual bump during play, Newton's third law is constantly in action, whether we realize it or not.