Basketball is a team sport featuring two teams of five players trying to shoot a ball through a hoop.
Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith as a way to keep his gym class busy on a rainy day. The school was in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
Peach baskets were used to catch the ball, and holes were eventually put into the bottom of them to allow the action to continue faster than having to retrieve it after each successful shot.
Metal hoops and backboards replaced peach baskets around 1906.
The rim is typically 10 feet off the ground.
The orange colored ball we are so used to seeing today was introduced in the late 1950s as a way to make the ball stand out more to both players and spectators.
Coaches can take “time-outs” to draw up plays or change the flow of the game.
The NBA is the most popular basketball league in the world.
The NBA introduced a 24 second “shot clock” in 1954 to help keep the game moving.
The 3-point shot was experimented with for a number of years before the NBA adopted it in 1979.
The shortest NBA player was Muggsy Bogues, standing at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60m).
The tallest NBA player was Manute Bol, standing at 7 feet 7 inches (2.35m).
Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in an NBA game.
The first NBA slam dunk contest was held in 1976.
International basketball is run by FIBA.
Basketball is played at the Summer Olympic Games.
Typical basketball positions include point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center.
Some famous basketball players you might have heard of include Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
