10 Surprising Facts about Basketball: Basketball was invented in America. The inventor of this game was a young man who was from Canada. In the US city of Manchester, where the college called Springfield College of Physical Education was done.
10 Surprising Facts about Basketball
Are you looking for facts about Basketball? So you’ve come to the right place. Here are ten interesting facts about Basketball that you probably didn’t know before reading this. If you liked that article, share it with your friends, and if you are hungry for more interesting facts, we list many more facts.
Dribbling was a ‘no-no.’
You may not be aware, but dribbling was not allowed in the initial years of Basketball. After catching it without dropping and continuing the game, you had to throw the ball to a fellow player. However, in 1897, a college basketball team brought dribbling into the game. Complete dribbling was allowed after four years of its introduction at levels.
The slam dunk was formerly called a dunk shot.
We all know that the slam dunk is the main attraction of NBA skill challenges. It refers to a move where you jump above the net’s rim and drive the ball into the net using one or both hands. Previously it was called a dunk shot, and later in 1972, renamed a slam dunk after the American announcer Chick Hearn used this term for the first time at the LA Lakers game, and it stuck from thereon.
Basketball was played with a ball meant for the soccer
It may sound bizarre, but Basketball was once played with a soccer ball and peach basket. Referees had to remove the ball from these baskets every time a player made a basket. Slowly it evolved, and string baskets were introduced in 1900, and later backboards were attached to the baskets to prevent the audience from blocking shots.
The invention of Basketball is credited to James Naismith
The game of Basketball was founded in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, by James Naismith, whose boss gave him the task of inventing an indoor winter activity at the YMCA. Naismith was a PET teacher and the writer of Basketball’s rule book.
Possession rules modified in 1913
Before 1913, A referee would pick up and throw an out-of-bounds basketball down the court, and the first player to touch the ball was allowed to retain possession. However, it induced more injuries, and hence the rules were changed in 1913, where the last player who had contacted the ball gained the right of possession in case of an out-of-bounds ball.
The three-pointer was not part of Basketball previously.
The three-point game is a famous event in the NBA Skills Challenge. It is officially called a three-point field goal, and it is a basketball shot made beyond the three-point line. Therefore, you will fetch three points if you shoot a basket from the three-point field arc. This rule was not part of the game previously and was brought into play from the 1979-80 season.
Referees made use of watches.
Initially, a referee’s official responsibility in Basketball was to keep time records, although there was not much time to maintain them. In 1954, a 24-second shot clock was introduced to reduce stalling tactics used by many NBA teams during that time.
Fouls played
The referees did not consider fouls until 1910, shouldering, pushing, holding, tripping, or striking an opponent. However, after 1910, committing four of the offences was considered foul. Later in 1946, the inaugural rules of the Basketball Association of America raised the offences to five and six in the following year.
Michael Jordan paid the fines for wearing his iconic shoes.
Whenever you hear Michael Jordan’s name, you will instantly connect with ‘Air Jordans,’ his iconic shoes. However, using these shoes in the games was against the NBA dress code and hence not allowed on the court. Nevertheless, Jordan insisted on wearing them and would pay the fines for each match. Eventually, the NBA made an exception and allowed its use on the court.
Smaller Squad Establishment
In a basketball game, each team has five players at any given time on the court. But initially, there was no limit on the number of players inside the court. Therefore, teams were allowed to play as many as 50 players in a match. After that, however, only nine players were permitted at a given time in the court. Finally, the rules were changed to 5 players in 1897.
