Basketball is often called the best ball game, relegating football, volleyball and other sports to the background. Like it or not, but throwing the ball into the basket, dating back more than 100 years of history, gives us delightful emotions to this day. And as usual, any story is full of funny cases and entertaining statistics. To get to know this game more closely, we will tell you 8 of the most interesting facts about basketball.
Let's start with the story
Start the story about the most interesting facts about basketball from the inception of this game. Despite the fact that a similar game, which was played by the ancient Mayans, is called the progenitor of basketball, January 15, 1892 is considered the international birthday of the “best ball game”. Then a simple teacher from Springfield College first showed the world the rules of new fun. He tried them, of course, on his students. In a rather unusual match, where there were only 13 rules and two baskets for peaches, two teams came together. Players could not hold the ball, but had the opportunity to pass it to each other and throw it into the basket. The first referee also did not have the easiest job: to climb the ladder and get the ball after every hit. Today, only a few of the original rules have come down to us, one of which is the height of the ring, which to this day is 3.05 meters.
When did the three-pointer appear?
Along with the most delicious shots called “dunks”, the audience loves long-range shots, bringing the team as many as 3 treasured points. However, initially in the basketball rules there was no separation regarding the distance from which the ball was thrown into the basket. For the first time in the professional arena, a three-point shot appeared only in the early 1960s. Well, the NBA entered the Premier League only after 10 years. Curiously, one of the most memorable players in the history of basketball, Shaquille O'Neill had a very "strained" relationship with this game element. The fact is that over the course of his sports career, the great “Shack” scored only 1 of 22 three-point shots, which, however, did not prevent him from forever writing his name in the history of this game.
How North Korea plays its game
You can talk about unusual facts about basketball endlessly, but the tournament in North Korea stands out most clearly from other leagues. This country has peculiar rules regarding performance, which seem to have created their own game.
It’s worth starting with the fact that three-pointer in North Korea is called four-pointer, since it is precisely 4 points that are awarded for a long-range hit. Hit from above (dunk) is estimated at 3 points. And in the final three-minute period of each of the quarters, any effective action brings as much as 8 points to the team’s piggy bank! But this is not all: during the match, points are not only scored by teams, but also lost. For example, a team takes points for an unbroken throw from the penalty mark.
Why put the shield?
We will tell you an interesting fact about basketball for children. Why do you think the shield is behind the ring? To make it more convenient to hit the target, sometimes using a rebound? No, this element of basketball equipment has a less intriguing story. At a time when the game was just beginning to gain popularity in the world, especially impatient and active fans, in case of a miss by the players, picked up the ball and tried to score it on their own. And so the idea came up to build a kind of barrage shield so that the ball less often leaves the playing area with an inaccurate throw. Later, it was decided to use the area of the shield for good, having drawn an aim square on it, getting into which, it was much easier to send the ball to the basket.
Be careful on the site!
The next interesting fact about basketball is based solely on statistics. If it seems to you that throwing the ball into the basket is safer than playing rugby, then you are mistaken. The most traumatic sport is considered only American football, where rigidity is welcomed and is an integral part of the show. And the most common injury in basketball is an ankle dislocation. These facts are confirmed by dry statistics. For example, in 2011, nearly 250,000 injuries of young basketball players aged 12-17 were recorded in the United States. This is largely due to the high popularity of street basketball in America, where on the playgrounds not the most pleasant sensations are falling on the asphalt.
The law is not written to him!
One of the most famous world basketball players Michael Jordan can be called commercially naughty. In his career there were many curious cases related to the company Nike, which concluded an individual contract with him. One of the most unknown facts about basketball came from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. During the award, he had to wrap himself in the American flag. And it was not about the suddenly awakened patriotism. It turns out that sports equipment for the whole team was supplied by Reebok, whose representatives did not like it if one of the team's players stood completely in Nike uniform. Therefore, the "flaw" had to be hidden.
Another case was related to Michael's athletic shoes. The NBA Federation forbade him to play in his branded sneakers, punishing financially for violating this rule. But this did not stop the great basketball player. Nike simply paid him this fine so Jordan would continue to play in the Jordans.
Basketball and Music
The next funny fact about basketball is closely related to the history of music. In school years, the famous frontman of the legendary Aerosmith band, Mick Jagger, like many boys, threw the ball into the basket. The result of this game was an injury received as a result of a collision in one of the matches. Mick crashed into his opponent with such force that he bit off a piece of his tongue. When the wound healed, Jagger's voice acquired its "unique" sound. So basketball gave us one of the best rock performers of our time.
8. Who is the smallest?
In basketball, player growth is of particular importance. But there were players who refuted all stereotypes with their skill. So, Tyrone Curtis Bogz, whose height was only 1 meter and 60 centimeters, was officially recognized as the shortest professional player in the history of this sport. He got his place in history thanks to his style of play. Tyrone was so agile and dexterous that he easily took the ball from the opponents “down”. For his skill to rob opponents, he received the nickname "thief." Here is such an interesting fact about basketball.