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What are some interesting facts you don't know about basketball?
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How many players are in a basketball game?
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Jul 24, 2022 · Learn about the history, rules, and trivia of basketball, from its origins to its global popularity. Discover facts about basketball players, teams, leagues, and events, such as the first three-point shot, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the longest game in NBA history.
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- Overview
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- Growth of the game
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Basketball is a game played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket.
When was basketball invented?
Basketball was invented by James Naismith on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School, Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was an instructor in physical education. Basketball is the only major sport strictly of U.S. origin (although Naismith was born in Canada).
How does basketball exercise your body?
Basketball is a dynamic sport that builds stamina from the short sprints required of running up and down the length of the court. Movements distinct to basketball, such as jumping to take a shot or to grab a rebound, require frequent muscle contractions, which can build muscular endurance. Additional weight training is recommended for basketball players in order to improve their performance on the court.
Where is basketball popular outside of the United States?
In the early years the number of players on a team varied according to the number in the class and the size of the playing area. In 1894 teams began to play with five on a side when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2 square metres); the number rose to seven when the gymnasium measured from 1,800 to 3,600 square feet (334.5 square metres) and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that. In 1895 the number was occasionally set at five by mutual consent; the rules stipulated five players two years later, and this number has remained ever since.
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Since Naismith and five of his original players were Canadians, it is not surprising that Canada was the first country outside the United States to play the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in England in 1894, in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900.
While basketball helped swell the membership of YMCAs because of the availability of their gyms, within five years the game was outlawed by various associations because gyms that had been occupied by classes of 50 or 60 members were now monopolized by only 10 to 18 players. The banishment of the game induced many members to terminate their YMCA membership and to hire halls to play the game, thus paving the way to the professionalization of the sport.
Originally, players wore one of three styles of uniforms: knee-length football trousers; jersey tights, as commonly worn by wrestlers; or short padded pants, forerunners of today’s uniforms, plus knee guards. The courts often were of irregular shape with occasional obstructions such as pillars, stairways, or offices that interfered with play. In 1903 it was ruled that all boundary lines must be straight. In 1893 the Narragansett Machinery Co. of Providence, Rhode Island, marketed a hoop of iron with a hammock style of basket. Originally a ladder, then a pole, and finally a chain fastened to the bottom of the net was used to retrieve a ball after a goal had been scored. Nets open at the bottom were adopted in 1912–13. In 1895–96 the points for making a basket (goal, or field goal) were reduced from three to two, and the points for making a free throw (shot uncontested from a line in front of the basket after a foul had been committed) were reduced from three to one.
Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States and internationally in the first three decades after World War II. Interest in the game deepened as a result of television exposure, but with the advent of cable television, especially during the 1980s, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels. Given a timely ...
Learn about the origin, evolution, and rules of basketball, the only major sport strictly of U.S. origin. Find out how basketball is played, scored, and popularized around the world.
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender's hoop (a basket 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to a ...
- Canadian James Naismith (1861–1939)—a physical education teacher from Springfield, MA—invented the game of basketball in 1891 when he was looking for ways to keep his gym class busy on a rainy day.
- In the early 1900s, basketball players played in cages of chicken wire and mesh to keep players from falling into spectator seats. Players would often get injured during the intense games.
- Originally, two teams of 9 players made up a basketball game, a number that was based on the standard number of players on a baseball team. Later, the teams were reduced to 5 players on the court.
- During a 1977 court fight between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, forward Kermit Washington nearly fatally punched forward Rudy Tomjanovich.
- James Naismith invented basketball. Asked in 1891 to invent an indoor winter activity by his boss at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith is credited as the founder of basketball.
- Basketball was played with a different ball. As bizarre as it sounds, basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and peach baskets, with referees having to retrieve the ball each time a player made a basket.
- Dribbling wasn't allowed. Players never could advance the ball. Instead, each player had to throw it from wherever he caught it. The first team credited with advancing the ball by dribbling it played at Yale in 1897, and the official allowance for the dribble, just one per possession at first, were adopted four years later.
- More players per side. The number of players per side was never specified. Naismith invented an indoor winter activity and wanted a game flexible enough to include whoever wanted to play.
May 9, 2024 · Learn about the history, rules, records, and science of basketball, one of the most popular sports in the US and the world. Discover how basketball was invented, how players jump, how courts evolved, and more.
Apr 17, 2024 · Learn about the origin, development, and global spread of basketball, the only major sport invented in the United States. Find out how the rules, equipment, and players evolved over time and who were the pioneers and legends of the game.
