By Basketball is one of the most amazing sports in the world, and rightly so, one of the most popular too. After American football, Basketball is the 2nd most popular game in the U.S. The sport has been around for almost two centuries now and by millions of people around the world. But after being played for so long, there are some amazing Basketball facts people still don’t know. In this blog, we will tell you some of the most amazing Basketball facts that are still not known by many people.
What is Basketball?
Basketball is a team sport played by two teams and ten players at a time (5 players in each team). It is played on a court, to put the ball through the loop (often called hoop or basket) situated on both ends of the court. It was first played in 1891, and since, it has become one of the most popular sports in the world. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the highest level in Basketball.
Top Amazing Basketball Facts
Before starting the list, it is worth mentioning that the facts we’re about to list are some of the lesser-known facts about basketball. Facts that many casual players or audiences might not know about.
1. The Inventor Many Forget
When talking about amazing Basketball facts, we can not neglect the man who invented the game, but the thing is, many people don’t know how Basketball was invented. It was invented by James Naismith, a physical education professor in Canada. One day, it was raining and he wanted his students to still perform some physical activity. This is when he came up with two baskets and a ball, which gave birth to Basketball.
2. Basketball Or Football?
As mentioned above, James Naismith came with the game of Basketball on the fly. He didn’t have any specialised equipment. So it might sound bizarre, but one of the most amazing Basketball facts was that the first game of Basketball was played by a Football.
3. Dribbling; Foul or No Foul?
Anybody who plays Basketball knows, you cannot move with the ball unless you’re dribbling it, but that wasn’t always the case. When the game was first played, the rules were a little different. Unlike today, moving with the ball was completely restricted. If you have the ball, you cannot move even an inch. There was no dribbling, you could only pass the ball from one player to another.
4. Shortest Basketball Player Ever
Everybody knows that height is one of the most valuable attributes in Basketball. Still, there are many short Basketball players, but the shortest among them is Muggsy Bogues. He was only 5 feet 3 inches, however, a good player indeed. This is among the most amazing Basketball facts because there hasn’t been another Basketball player who was 5 feet 3 inches.
5. Olympic Debut
Basketball was fairly new when it was introduced in the Olympics. The introduction game of Basketball was played in 1904 and it was later inducted into the Summer Olympics in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Since Basketball has become a staple of the Summer Olympic games and one of the highest honours a Basketball athlete can achieve.
6. The Arrival Of African Americans
Today, the NBA is dominated by African Americans, mainly because, genetically they have attributes that are the most desirable in Basketball. Players like Jordan, LeBron and Kobe are considered the best players in Basketball history. But another amazing Basketball facts is that the first ever African American played in the NBA in 1950. Earl Lloyd was the very first African-American to ever play in the NBA. He played for the Washington Capitals.
7. Is More Always Better?
Nowadays, a Basketball team has 12 players in total, out of which only five play at a time. This wasn’t always the case. One of the most amazing Basketball facts is that when Basketball was invented, it was played between 18 players(9 in each team) instead of 10.
8. No Holds Barred Game?
When a sport is new, it doesn’t have a unified ruleset, but what makes this entry an amazing Basketball facts is that basketball almost had no rules whatsoever. At the beginning of the sport, shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking an opponent was not considered a foul. However, it was not allowed.
9. Referees Were The Time Keepers
Initially, referees were the timekeepers partly because there wasn’t much time to look after. All they had to do was stop the game at halftime. Unlike today, there wasn’t any 24-second clock, nor any 8-sec half court time.
10. The Game Was Much Shorter
One of the most amazing Basketball facts is that the game was never as long as it is today. Today, a basketball game is played through 4 quarters of 12 minutes each, but the founder of Basketball, Naismith, proposed the game to be 30 minutes long with two halves of 15 minutes each.
FAQs
Which is the most successful Team in NBA History?
Los Angeles Lakers is the most successful NBA team of all time. They have 31 conference titles and 16 NBA titles.
What are the Basketball court’s dimensions?
A typical Basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide.
Which country is the best in Basketball?
The United States of America is the best team in Basketball. They have the most world championships and the most Olympic medals in the history of Basketball.
Which player has the most points in Basketball history?
LeBron James has the most points in Basketball history. His current points tally is 38,694.
