Do you know that the tallest and the shortest basketball player once played for the same team? Sounds interesting, right? Just like this, several other interesting basketball facts might amaze you. As an avid basketball player, you would always be curious to collect data about the basketball game. So, are you ready to unravel those secrets here? If yes, then your destination is correct. In today’s blog, I will share several remarkable and interesting facts about basketball that you might not know! So, let’s dive deep into the blog without further delay to learn more.
What Do You Know About Basketball?
When talking about the basketball game, James Naismith, a Canadian-American professor of physical education and instructor at the International Young Men’s Christian Association in the Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, managed to find this sport when he was just trying to keep his gym class active days in a rainy day. The game kept evolving and grew to a level we are currently playing, as basketball.
Basketball is a team sport that consists of two teams with five players playing on each side. It is played in a rectangular court where the game’s main aim is to shoot the ball through the defender’s hoop while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. The team that has acquired the most number of points wins the game.
Interesting Facts About Basketball
The following are some interesting facts about basketball to know.
Donkey Basketball
There is a variant of Donkey basketball where the players ride donkeys rather than play basketball. It was played in the United States during the 1930s. During the gameplay, the donkeys were transported to the event in the trailers, and then the riders played basketball on their back in front of the crowd. The game was more for fun rather than just being a game.
No Air Jordans
The Air Jordans were banned from the NBA (National Basketball Association) because they violated the rules. As per the rules, the basketball shoes must be at least 51% white. Instead, based on the Chicago Bulls team colours, the Air Jordans were black and red and only 23% white. Violating the rule, Michael Jordan wore and was charged with a fine of $5,000 for each game he wore the shoes, and the interesting fact is that Nike paid the fine to promote the shoes, which compelled the NBA to ban the shoes.
The NBA Was BAA
The establishment of the NBA has quite an interesting story. However, the NBA was formed when the two leagues merged: the BAA (Basketball Association of America) and NBL (National Basketball League). These two merged because the BAA was new to the venture of running basketball teams, but it still had a good handle on the business. On the other hand, the NBL was well-versed in handling teams, but it was quite an informal league that needed to grow. This made them rely on each other and form the NBA.
First Official Women’s League
As basketball continued to evolve, women’s basketball also gained significance, and in 1976, women’s basketball became an Olympic sport, which provoked its further growth in the next few years. Probably in 1978, America formed and started its basketball league, which did not go long and collapsed in 1981 due to a financial crisis. However, this women’s sport has had its own life since forming the WNBA in 1996.
No Three-Point Line
Until 1979, there was no such thing as a three-point line in a basketball game. However, after much debate, the three-point line was established 23 feet, 9 inches from the basket between 1979-1980. After this, the three-point line became part of basketball, preventing the taller players from seeking more advantages.
Tallest NBA Player
The basketball game is widely known for the tallest basketball players dominating the game. One such record of the tallest players was taken by Gheorghe Mureșan, who was 7-foot-7-inches tall. He served in basketball from 1993 to 2000 and scored 3,020 points for two teams. He was still nothing compared to the Sun Mingming of China, who was 7-foot-9-inch.
Shortest NBA Player
Like the tallest, the shortest player in the NBA has also set records for playing more than their physical span. Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues was 5-foot-3-inches, which made him the shortest player in the NBA. He played for four teams during his 14 seasons as an NBA player.
Shortest Time Spent By A Player
The shortest time spent by any player in the game is around 3.9 seconds with the player Jameson Curry with the Los Angeles Clippers. It could be because he had a lot of trouble getting into the NBA team before he signed a ten-day contract with the Clippers. The coach never put him in the game, though he had excellent potential because the coach subbed him and gave him an official NBA record of 3.9 seconds. After that, the team released him from the contract.
Frequently Asked Questions About Interesting Facts About Basketball
Is Dribbling Allowed in The Basketball Game?
Dribbling was not a part of the original game but was introduced in 1901. During that time, the player could only bounce the ball once and could not shoot after he had dribbled. Later, basketball evolved and several types of dribbling came into existence.
Who Is the Founder of the Basketball Game?
The founder of the basketball game is James Naismith.
List Out the Best and the Most Famous Basketball Players.
Some of the famous basketball players are,
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Magic Johnson
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Shaquille O’Neal
To conclude, basketball is more than just a game. After reading these interesting facts about basketball, I hope you will have learned a lot. So keep exploring, keep playing, and let basketball continue to inspire and connect with millions.
Thank you!
Plagiarism and AI Check