Background/objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of bilateral and unilateral flywheel training programs on leg strength, sprint performance, jumping, and change of direction ability in young basketball players. Methods: Twenty-two youth male basketball players were randomly assigned to two groups: the unilateral group (UG; n = 11; age = 15.5 ± 0.5 years) and the bilateral group (BG; n = 11; age = 15.2 ± 0.4 years). Both groups participated in a six-week flywheel training intervention (UG: split squat; BG: half squat) alongside their regular basketball activities. Performance measures included change of direction ability (5-0-5 test), knee extension 60 degrees/s leg strength (EX60), bilateral and unilateral countermovement jump heights (CMJ, CMJL, and CMJD), reactive strength index (RSI), and 5 m and 20 m sprint times (SPR5m and SPR20m). A 2 × 2 ANOVA was used to evaluate pre- to post-intervention changes. Results: Significant interaction effects were observed for the 5-0-5 test (F = 13.27; p = 0.02), with pre–post improvements of 8.4% and 13.3% for the BG and UG, respectively. Both groups showed significant CMJ improvements (11.4%, ES = 0.69 for the BG; 14.6%, ES = 1.4 for the UG). The UG demonstrated greater unilateral jump improvements compared to the BG. Significant RSI improvements were found for both groups (BG: 19.6%, ES = 0.95; UG: 19.6%, ES = 0.77). Both groups improved on sprint performance, with the UG showing slightly larger effect sizes. Conclusions: Unilateral flywheel strength training appeared to be a more effective strategy than bilateral training for enhancing strength, sprinting, jumping, and change of direction ability in youth basketball players.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the differences in physical characteristics, leg strength, and jumping performance between 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 male basketball players. Methods: Twelve elite-level 5 × 5 basketball players (26.0 ± 13.0 years; 201.4 ± 6.6 cm; 95.50 ± 11.50 kg) and twelve elite-level 3 × 3 basketball players (26.7 ± 7.3 years; 193.0 ± 5.1 cm; 98.03 ± 9.77 kg), all male, were enrolled in the study. After anthropometric measurements and standardized warm ups, countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ) and isokinetic strength testing were conducted, respectively. Results: An independent two-sample t-test revealed that 5 × 5 athletes were notably (p < 0.005) taller, with a lower body fat percentage (11.9 ± 3.6% vs. 18.6 ± 10.9%) and higher quadricep strength (317.21 ± 36.54 N·m vs. 284.76 ± 29.77 N·m and 313.32 ± 24.08 N·m vs. 285.87 ± 31.2 N·m for left and right leg, respectively). Conversely, 3 × 3 players displayed superior CMJ performance in concentric and eccentric peak forces, peak power, and reactive strength index. In the DJ, 3 × 3 players also excelled in eccentric peak force, reactive strength index, and jump height. Conclusions: The findings indicate that while 5 × 5 basketball players excel in body physique and in the strength of their lower body, 3 × 3 basketball players outperform them in power-related metrics.