BASKETBALL

Introduction – Basketball is a popular sport worldwide, played in professional leagues, school teams, recreational leagues, and on courts and driveways all over America.

Origin In contrast to other sports, basketball has a clear origin. It is not the evolution from an ancient game or another sport and the inventor is well known: Dr. James Naismith.

Naismith was born in 1861 in Ramsay township, Ontario, Canada. He graduated as a physician at McGill University in Montreal and was primarily interested in sports physiology.

In 1891, while working as a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School (today, Springfield College) in the United States, Naismith was faced with the problem of finding in 14 days, an indoor game to provide “athletic distraction” for the students at the School for Christian Workers (Naismith was also a Presbyterian minister).

How to play Each basketball team consists of five players, and up to five substitutes are allowed.  There is usually a center, two forwards, and two guards.  The primary ball handler is the point guard, and the top scorer is the shooting guard.

The goal is to make the basketball pass through the hoop of the opposing team, and therefore, score points.  A successful shot is worth two points; three if it is taken from behind the three-point arc which is 20 feet 6 inches from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches in NBA games.  The basketball can be passed, thrown, tapped, or dribbled toward the opposing goal, but it cannot be carried.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”

Michael Jordon, Former American All-star and Greatest Basketball player ever