Did you know basketball was invented with peach baskets and a soccer ball? Basketball is a sport that is played all over the world and the game requires skills and teamwork! Keep reading if you want to learn some history and fun facts of basketball.
The Birth of Basketball
Have you wondered how basketball really started and who invented this sport? This sport was made by Dr. James Naismith in 1891, who was from Springfield, Massachusetts. He was working at a YMCA training school and wanted to create an indoor game to keep students active during winter. He originally wrote 13 rules for the sport of basketball.
History of Basketball
The beginning of basketball is very humble as very simple equipment was used and there were only 13 rules to the game as well. The first “hoops” that were used were peach baskets nailed to a gymnasium balcony and the hoops had no bottoms. Every time someone scored, someone had to climb up and fetch the ball which was a time consuming process.
Eventually basketball evolved with time which led to:
- Metal rims
- Nets
- Backboards, etc.
YMCA played the major role of spreading the game all across the United States. The first public game was held in 1892, and the teams had a total of nine players each.
Basic Rules & How Basketball Works
The sport of basketball features:
- Baseline
- Sidelines
- Paint (which is the rectangular area beneath the hoop)
- 3-point arc (which is the curved line that designates the boundary between two-point and three-point shots)
The typical hoop height is 10 feet (about 3 meters) above the floor and the ball is supposed to be round and bouncy. It is important to note that the ball size varies for different age leagues.
What Are the Main Positions in Basketball and What Do They Do?
A game of basketball is played between two teams which contains five players per side. The players have different designate positions during the game, like:
- The Point guard handles the ball and scores the offense
- The Shooting guard specialises in shooting from distance
- The Small forward focuses on drawing fouls by aggressively attempting (posting-up) plays, layups, or slam dunks
- The Power forward is essentially a larger and stronger version of the small forward
- The Center’s goal is to create possessions and, therefore, opportunities to score
The typical way that scoring works is that:
- 2 points for a shot inside the 3-point line
- 3 points if you shoot from beyond the arc
- Free throws (1 point each) after certain fouls
Rules & Violations of Basketball
Here are a few rules that need to be followed in basketball:
- You must bounce (dribble the ball) while moving
- Players must score before the shot clock runs out of time
Here are a few things that are considered violations in basketball:
- Traveling, where a player walks without dribbling the basketball
- Double dribbling is not allowed (when a player dribbles the ball, stops and then dribbles again)
- Out of bounds is the state of being outside the playing boundaries of the field
Famous Players & Legends of Basketball
Here is a list of players from the Men’s League:
- Michael Jordan
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Yao Ming
- LeBron James and many others etc.
Here is a list of players from the Women’s league:
- Sue Bird
- Diana Taurasi
- Sheryl Denise Swoopes
Fun Records, Surprising Facts about Basketball
- Did you know the Highest single-game score by a player was 100 points by Wilt Chamberlain?
- The First Basketball Game Had Only 13 Rules
- The most points scored in an NBA season were 4029 by Wilt Chamberlain
- The longest shot ever made was 34.6 metres
- The youngest player to play in the NBA was Andrew Bynum who played at the age of 18!
- The oldest player to play in the NBA was Nat Hickey who played at the age of 45
- Did you know the global reach of basketball is over 150+ countries?
- Did you know originally dribbling was not a part of basketball?
Ways Kids Can Play & Practice Basketball
Kids can start learning basketball through the process of:
- Learning basic dribbling with a partner
- Learning how catch and pass the ball between other players
- Watch basketball games to learn from players
- Joining school or community basketball teams
These activities should be performed in an open area, where trusted adults are around in case of any emergencies!
Conclusion
Basketball is not just a game or sport, it’s something rich in history and has a lot of value all over the globe. Children should try to play and learn sports like basketball, because it’s good for their health and physical fitness. Kids should try to learn a basketball trick from a famous player’s move or learn how to dribble efficiently.