“Not only is there more to life than basketball, there’s a lot more to basketball than basketball.” – Phil Jackson, former basketball player and coach.
Basketball is the only major sport entirely of US origin and, over the years, has risen to become a global phenomenon. It is played professionally in front of fans across the world virtually all year round, in a variety of domestic leagues and international competitions. A fast-paced, high-scoring, and action-packed sport, few others can match basketball for the skill, athleticism, or sheer style on show during a game.
📜 History of Basketball
Basketball dates back to December 1891, created by Canadian physical education professor James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. Seeking a simple but engaging indoor activity for his students during a New England storm, Naismith created a game involving tossing a ball into a basket mounted on a wall. He had planned to use boxes but only had access to peach baskets, which would go on to lend the sport its name. Initially, the game was played with a soccer ball, which players would aim to throw into a basket with its bottom intact. After each point scored, the ball would have to be retrieved from the basket manually, until Naismith had the bottoms of the baskets cut out to keep the game moving at a fluid pace.
The sport quickly spread across the United States and globally to the likes of France, England, Australia, China, India, and Japan. It slowly and steadily grew in popularity after the Second World War both in the US and abroad, taking on a new life following the advent of TV. Thanks to spectacular players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, basketball began to dominate the American sporting scene alongside the likes of baseball and American football.
Since those humble beginnings in Massachusetts, basketball has come a long way. What began as a teacher’s effort to keep his students fit and occupied during the long New England winters has developed into a worldwide sport attracting millions of fans.
💯 Basketball Format & Scoring
Basketball is a team sport in which 2 teams of 5 players compete to put a ball through their opponents’ hoop, which stands 10 feet off the ground at opposite ends of a rectangular court. The standard American basketball court is 50 feet (15.2 meters) by 94 feet (28.7 meters), while international courts are slightly smaller.
Basketball games are split into 4 quarters, typically of 10 or 12 minutes apiece, and at the end of the game the team with the most points wins. A field goal is worth 2 points, or 3 points if the shot is taken from behind the 3-point line, while free throws – which are awarded to a team if their opponents commit a foul – are worth 1 point. Should the teams be tying at the end of the game, a period of overtime is played until a winner is determined.
The sport is played with the hands, and players advance the ball up the court either by passing to a team-mate or by “dribbling” – bouncing the ball while walking or running. Players may not carry the ball or resume dribbling once they have held the ball in both hands. When holding the ball with both hands, players may pivot on the spot but cannot lift or drag their pivot foot.
The modern game of basketball is played by both men and women, with common variations including wheelchair basketball or smaller roster sizes such as 3-on-3 or 4-on-4. There are international tournaments and domestic leagues taking place all over the world. Some of the most popular competitions include the NBA (National Basketball Association) and WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association), the ABA (American Basketball Association), the Australian NBL (National Basketball League), FIBA World Cups, Summer Olympics Basketball, and the EuroLeague. In the US, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Tournament, also known as March Madness, is also very popular.
🏆 Popular Basketball Leagues
Naturally, the world’s most popular basketball league is the NBA. It is the United States’ – and therefore the world’s – premier basketball league comprised of the best players on the planet, with iconic teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Chicago Bulls among its illustrious ranks.
Its female counterpart, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is among the most popular women’s basketball leagues. Likewise, the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League is perhaps the most notable women’s division in Europe, in part due to the presence of many WNBA players who feature in it during the American league’s off-season.
There are popular men’s basketball leagues around Europe including Spain’s Liga ACB and France’s LNB Pro A. There is also the EuroLeague, which is somewhat akin to football’s UEFA Champions League, wherein fans can watch the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona take on Bayern Munich, AS Monaco, or Fenerbahce. In Australasia, hoops fans enjoy the National Basketball League (NBL).
Back on US soil, basketball fans also enjoy watching the NBA G League, which is the NBA’s minor league counterpart, a development league featuring top young prospects. Like other college sports, college basketball is also very popular, most notably the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, which similarly features many future NBA stars.
⛹️ Key Players in Basketball
Naturally, the world’s top basketball players have gravitated toward the NBA. Wilt Chamberlain, who played from 1959 to 1973, was among the first players to truly capture the imagination in the league’s early years. He was followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who set the NBA’s all-time scoring record in 1984, a record that stood until 2023 when it was broken by none other than LeBron James, who has been basketball’s biggest modern star.
A great many legends have come and gone in the intervening years, from Charles Barkley and Larry Bird to Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant. The most notable player – not just in that era but in all of basketball history – is Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls legend fired his team to an incredible 6 NBA championships between 1991 and 1998, proving his penchant for producing in clutch moments by becoming the MVP in all 6 finals. Jordan’s star turn alongside Bugs Bunny in the 1996 blockbuster Space Jam, and more recently his appearance as the subject of the Emmy-winning documentary series The Last Dance have further elevated him into the wider sporting consciousness.
