Last updated: July 24, 2022, editorial staff.
Basketball — is not a simple sport; outscoring your opponents and winning the game requires great endurance, skill, and team spirit. There's much more to this game than just players, a court, a referee, and a ball. We'll tell you about 50 interesting facts about basketball, 15 facts about basketball players and 26 facts about NBA teams.
Originally, basketball was played with a different ball. Oddly enough, the game was originally played with a regular soccer ball and peach baskets. Referees, interestingly, had to take the ball away every time a goal was scored. However, this has changed. in 1900, when net baskets were introduced and backboards were installed to prevent spectators from interfering with the throw.
Another interesting fact: dribbling the ball was prohibited. It sounds strange, but that's how it was. Players were never allowed to advance the ball forward; they had to throw it over the crossbar without moving. The first players allowed to advance the ball with just one dribble played in 1897 at Yale University. This rule was officially adopted approximately four years later.
Interestingly, the game was much shorter; it consisted of two fifteen-minute halves with a five-minute break in between. Referees were required to keep track of time with clocks, but all this changed in the early 1950s as a way to combat game-delaying tactics used by some teams.
50 Interesting Facts About Basketball
1. The first basketballs were brown. However, a brown ball is difficult for both players and fans to see. To improve visibility, Butler University coach Tony Hinkle proposed an orange ball in 1957.[14]
2. Basketball was invented James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School (now Springfield College), created the sport in 1891 as a way for students to stay fit and busy indoors during the winter. The first ring was made from a peach basket, provided by the school janitor and nailed to the edge of the balcony.[18]
3. The American Basketball League (ABL) has become the first organized professional basketball league to use the three-point line in 1961.[16]
4. The first three-point shot in the National Basketball Association (NBA) was made by Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford on October 12, 1979, in a game against the Houston Rockets. That same game also marked the debut of Celtics legend Larry Bird.[20]
5. Interceptions and blocks became an official (recorded) statistic in the NBA only starting with the 1973–74 season. That season, Elmore Smith made the most blocks in an NBA game—17 on October 28, 1973.[22]
6. The 24-second shot clock was the brainchild of Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone and general manager Leo Ferris. The NBA first introduced the shot clock in the 1954-1955 season. [19]
7. The NBA's first national television contract was signed. during the 1953-1954 season between the NBA and the Dumont Television Network.[23]
8. The first basketball match in Europe was organized by Mel Ridout in Paris.[21]
9. The eight founding countries of FIBA (International Amateur Basketball Federation) are Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland. FIBA was founded in Geneva on June 18, 1932.[27]
10. Two women have been selected to the NBA. The first was Denise Long, who was selected in the 13th round by the San Francisco Warriors. The second was Louise Harris, who was selected 137th overall by the New Orleans Jazz.[24]
11. The league we now know as The NBA was originally called the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and was founded on June 6, 1946. After merging with the rival National Basketball League on August 3, 1949, it changed its name to the National Basketball Association.[26]
12. Before FIBA was founded Basketball was under the jurisdiction of the International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF). At the time, the federation oversaw all ball games played by hand. The agreement that transferred oversight of basketball to FIBA was called the Stockholm Protocol.[25]
13. Basketball first became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Olympic Basketball games were played outdoors on modified tennis courts. [29]
14. Contrary to their name, the Harlem Globetrotters did not originate in Harlem, New York City. Their origins lie in Chicago, Illinois.[30]
15. Abe Saperstein founded the Harlem Globetrotters in 1926. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. At 5'6" (160 cm), Saperstein is considered the shortest man inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. [41]
16. In 1940, the Harlem Globetrotters were still a very competitive team. They won the 1940 World Professional Basketball Tournament, defeating the Chicago Bruins.[38].
17. The goalkeeper's play in the goal was considered a violation only in 1944, due to its use by Hall of Famer George Mikan against opponents. Prior to 1944, playing the goaltender in net was considered legal because relatively few players could perform it.[44]
18. Philadelphia Warriors forward Joseph "Bouncing Joe" Fulks has set the record for most missed field goals in a regular season game — 42, it happened during a game against the Providence Steam Rollers. He attempted 55 field goals, but only made 13.[47]
19. Record for the number of missed shots on goal in a playoff game Also held by Jumping Joe Fulks, he missed 38 shots on goal in a game against the St. Louis Bombers.[43].
20. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has established record for the fastest ejection in NBA history. He was ejected 63 seconds into the game against the Denver Nuggets.[39]
21. The longest game in NBA history The game lasted 78 minutes and included six overtimes. It was played on January 6, 1951, between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals. The Olympians won 75–73.[28]
22. On December 13, 1983, a regular season game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets set several NBA records. The game ended after three overtimes with Detroit winning 186-184. This game set NBA record for total points scored in a single game, as well as the highest and second highest number of points scored by a team in a single game.[34]
The 11 Highest-Scoring Games in NBA History
| Classify | Total points | Date | Location | The winning team | The losing team | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 370 | December 13, 1983. | McNichols Arena Denver, Colorado |
Detroit Pistons | Denver Nuggets | 186-184 |
| 2. | 342 | February 14, 1975. | Pechanga Arena San Diego San Diego, California |
San Diego Conquistadors | New York Nets | 176-166 |
| 3. | 337 | March 6, 1982. | HemisFair Arena San Antonio, Texas |
San Antonio Spurs | Milwaukee Bucks | 171-166 |
| 4. | 329 | March 1, 2019. | State Farm Arena Atlanta, Georgia |
Chicago Bulls* | Atlanta Hawks | 168-161 |
| 5. | 320 | March 13, 1970. | Moody Coliseum University Park, Texas |
Washington DC* | Dallas Chaparrals | 162-158 |
| 6. | 320 | November 2, 1990. | McNichols Arena Denver, Colorado |
Golden State Warriors* | Denver Nuggets | 162–158 |
| 7. | 318 | January 11, 1984 | McNichols Arena Denver, Colorado |
Denver Nuggets | San Antonio Spurs | 163-155 |
| 8. | 318 | December 7, 2006. | Arena Continental Aviares East Rutherford, New Jersey |
Phoenix Suns* | New Jersey Nets | 161–157 |
| 9. | 317 | October 30, 2019. | Capital One Arena Washington, DC |
Houston Rockets* | Washington Wizards | 159–158 |
| 10. | 316 | March 2, 1962. | Hershey Sports Arena Hershey, Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia Warriors | New York Knicks | 169–147 |
| 11. | 316 | March 12, 1970. | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati |
Cincinnati Royals | San Diego Rockets | 165–151 |
| The table was last updated. | 15.08.2020 | * Indicates a game in which the away team won. |
23. Gene Conley won 3 championships with the Boston Celtics and 1 with the Milwaukee Braves baseball team in the 1957 World Series. He is the only player to win both an NBA championship and a World Series. [45]
24. Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner (now Kaitlyn) was selected in the 7th round of the 1977 NBA draft by the Kansas City Kings.[48]
25. Official basketball size for men's competitions — Size 7, having a circumference of 29.5 inches or 75 cm.[37]
26. Official basketball size for women's competitive basketball — Size 6, having a circumference of 28.5 inches or 72 cm.[36]
27. Moneyball, The ball, which is worth two points in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, is modeled after the red, white, and blue ball used by the American Basketball Association.[46]
28. The official dimensions of FIBA courts are smaller than those of the NBA. The official length of an NBA court is 94 feet, compared to 91.86 feet for FIBA courts. The width of the court is 50 feet for NBA courts and 49.21 feet for FIBA courts.[42]
29. Official ring height For NBA, WNBA, FIBA and NCAA courts, it is set at 10 feet or 3.05 meters.[40]
30. Sergey Belov - The first international player to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. He is considered one of the best European basketball players and was a member of the Soviet team that beat the United States to win the gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[49]
31. Since the 1936 Summer Olympics The United States has failed to win gold in men's basketball only four times. The Soviet Union won gold in 1972 and 1988, Yugoslavia in 1980 (the 1980 Olympics were boycotted by the United States), and Argentina in 2004.[35]
32. Coach Paul Westhead - the first coach to win championships in both the NBA (Los Angeles Lakers) and the WNBA (Phoenix Mercury). [55]
33. Five foreign players have won the NBA MVP award. They are Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria), Tim Duncan (Virgin Islands), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece).[66]
34. Until 1966, the NBA had a territorial draft. These were special drafts that allowed teams to give up their first-round pick and instead Select a player within a 50 mile radius of the city. [60]
35. The New Jersey Nets protested the outcome of their November 8, 1978, game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The final 17:50 minutes of the game were replayed on March 23, 1979. Prior to the replay, a player trade had already taken place between the two teams. This means that three players - Eric Money, Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson - are officially listed as members of both teams in the same game. [53]
36. All NBA floors are made of hard maple (Acer saccharum) made from 3/4-inch thick boards. The only exception is the floor at Boston's TD Garden, which is made of red oak.[63]
37. A traditional basketball jersey consists of a sleeveless top and shorts. In 2013, the NBA experimented with adding sleeves to their jerseys, making them look like T-shirts. This sparked a wave of complaints from players and fans. The experiment continued until 2017, when Nike took over the NBA uniform contract and announced it would no longer use sleeved jerseys.[50]
38. NBA rules state that The cord of a basketball net must have no less than 30 strands and no more than 120 strands.[57]
39. According to NBA rules, each team must be given at least nine balls to warm up before the game.[52]
40. Officially approved NBA balls must withstand pressure from 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 pounds. [61]
41. «The Denver Nuggets are playing home stadium, located at an altitude of one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Studies have shown that this high altitude gives not only the Nuggets, but all Denver home teams in major American sports, a distinct advantage when it comes to hosting home games.[59]
42. A 2017 study found that NBA Eastern Conference teams may be at a disadvantage due to traveling to away games in the West. Circadian rhythm disorder, caused by east-west travel, which is contrary to the Earth's west-east rotation, affects stress and fatigue levels in individual players and can impair the performance of visiting teams.[68]
43. The average distance an NBA player runs per game is about 2.5 miles. During the 2019–20 NBA season, Blazers guard C.J. McCollum averaged 2.75 miles per game.[56]
44. A study that analyzed 17 years of NBA player medical records found that The lateral ankle ligament sprain was the most common injury in the league. Additionally, patellofemoral inflammation, or knee pain, was the most common reason for missing games in the NBA.[64]
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