25 interesting facts about basketball
25 interesting facts about basketball:
- Historical Origins: Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
- First Game: The first official game of basketball was played in Springfield on 20 January 1892.
- Basket height: The height of a standard basketball basket is 10 feet (3.05 metres) from the floor.
- Game length: In the National Basketball Association (NBA), games consist of four quarters, 12 minutes each.
- Highest score: Professional basketball has recorded the highest score in a single game, 186 points, in a game between the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets in 1983.
- Basketball: A standard basketball has a circumference of 29.5 inches (75 centimetres) and weighs about 22 ounces (623 grams).
- Basketball Hall: The largest basketball hall in the world is located at the University of Kentucky and seats more than 23,000 spectators.
- Professional League: The NBA (National Basketball Association) is considered one of the most popular and profitable professional sports leagues in the world.
- Michael Jordan’s Career: Michael Jordan, one of the most famous basketball players of all time, began his professional career with the Chicago Bulls.
- Tallest basketball player: The tallest basketball player in NBA history was Gheorghe Murisan, standing 7 feet 7 inches (231 centimetres) tall.
- Multiple NBA Champions: Bill Russell and his former team, the Boston Celtics, won 11 consecutive NBA championships from 1957 to 1969.
- First women’s league: the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was created in 1996.
- First Olympic tournament: Basketball was included in the Olympic Games programme in 1936.
- Youngest draft pick: Andrew Wiggins was selected in the 2014 NBA Draft at the age of 19 years and 2 months.
- Free Throw: In basketball, a free throw is taken from 15 feet (4.6 metres) away from the basket.
- Three-point shot: The three-point shot was first introduced in the NBA in 1979.
- Legendary “Sky Hook”: Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known for his famous “Sky Hook” shot, which was nearly impossible to block.
- Practice Range: Basketball players often practice on the practice range to improve their shot accuracy.
- Record Breaking Throws: The most three-point shots in a single NBA game is 14 and belongs to Klay Thompson.
- Superstars: There are many legendary basketball players in NBA history such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others.
- Tallest shot: The tallest shot in NBA history was clocked at 12 feet and 6 inches.
- Longest Career: Robert Parish played in the NBA until the age of 46, which is considered the record for the longest career.
- Team USA: Team USA often dominates the Olympics in basketball and has won many gold medals.
- Youngest Draft Number: LeBron James was selected with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, he was only 18 years old.
- Worldwide popularity: Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and has a huge number of fans and admirers all over the world.