HISTORY OF BASKETBALL :
HISTORY OF BASKETBALL Basketball is a game that is now played and enjoyed by people of all ages and sexes. The popularity of the game reached new heights in the late 1970s, due largely to the Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson matchup in the 1979 NCAA National Championship game. Bird's Indiana State team lost to Johnson's Michigan State team but the two men then went on to play for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, where their teams met several more times during the 1980's to battle for the NBA crown. Their rivalry fueled tremendous interest in their sport.
History of Basketball :
History of Basketball Michael Jordan, arguably the finest NBA player ever, led his Chicago Bulls teams to six NBA championships throughout the 1990's, bringing the popularity of basketball to even greater heights and giving Jordan one of the most recognizable faces anywhere. Though invented in the United States, basketball's popularity has spread to Europe and every other continent. It is a game now played and watched worldwide.
Basketball :
Basketball Over the years, the rules of basketball and the game itself have been refined. Now, five players per team are allowed on the court at once, and the peach baskets used by Naismith have been replaced by iron rims measuring 19 inches (48cm) in diameter, with a nylon or cotton netting beneath it. An NBA court measures 94 feet (28.65 meters) in length and 50 feet (15.24 meters) in width. College, high school, and grammar school court sizes all differ. Two points are awarded for a made basket and one point is awarded for a free throw, a shot taken from the free-throw line 15 feet (4.57 meters) from the basket. Free throws are awarded primarily when a player is fouled during the act of shooting. A player who commits six fouls in an NBA game is disqualified. For other levels, a player is disqualified after 5 fouls.
Basketball :
Basketball Though the 3-point shot was used in the rebel ABA (American Basketball Association) league, the shot did not actually come into favor in the NBA until 1979 and with the NCAA until 1980. A shot made from beyond the three-point arc (19' 9" (6 meters) in college, and 22' to 23'9" (7 meters) in the NBA) is allotted three points. The advent of the three point shot has greatly changed the game of basketball. Coaches now have their players put in long hours perfecting their long range shooting, instead of simply shooting shots closer to the basket.
Basketball Court :
Basketball Court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with baskets at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a hardwood, often maple, and highly polished. Other indoor surfaces include suspended plastic interlocking tiles from companies like Mateflex, Flex court, Rhino Court, Sport Court, VersaCourt International, and Sport-Floor. Outdoor surfaces used include plastic interlocking tiles (suspended athletic courts), asphalt, blacktop, or similar materials are used. Amateur players would typically use tarmac as the surface.
The Ball :
The Ball A basketball is an inflated ball used in the game of basketball. Basketballs typically range in size from very small promotional items possibly only a few inches in diameter to extra large balls nearly a foot in diameter used in training exercises to increase the skill of players.