Five little-known facts about basketball: what you should know about the history of the game

SSPDaily has prepared five facts about basketball. Learn about its fascinating history filled with intriguing events.

Inventor of the game

Basketball owes its appearance to James Naismith, a physical education teacher. In 1891, Naismith, trying to revitalize his students' physical education classes, invented a completely new game that later left an indelible mark on world culture.

A different form of the game

There were no usual baskets - instead, peach baskets were used. The referees had the unenviable duty of taking the ball out of the baskets after each point was scored. It was only in 1900 that basketball introduced baskets with nets, as well as backboards designed to protect balls and baskets from interference by spectators.

The composition of the players

In the early stages of basketball's development, there were no fixed rules about the number of players on each team. Naismith wanted to create a game that would be accessible to everyone.

Initially, the default number of players was 18. Over time, basketball evolved into the popular 5v5 format we know today. In addition, in the 1950s, a variant of basketball appeared - streetball - with the number of players 3x3.

NCAA, NBA, and the historical game

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is known for its immense popularity among sports fans. In 1979, the NCAA tournament became even more popular when Michigan State and Indiana met in the season finale.

This exciting game, which featured the young talents Magic Johnson (Michigan State) and Larry Bird (Indiana State), has stood the test of time as one of the most iconic basketball games in history. Subsequently, this historic encounter launched the Magic and Byrd rivalry, elevating the NBA (National Basketball Association) to an unprecedented level of popularity in the 1980s.

The emergence of the three-point shot

The modern game of basketball includes such an exciting element as the three-point shot. However, it has not always been a part of the game. The idea of three-point shots appeared in the early 1930s, and the concept of scoring them was introduced only in 1961.

Before that, all shots were scored at 2 points, and free throws were scored at 1 point. The three-point shot was first demonstrated in the Eastern Professional Basketball League, and in 1968 it was officially enshrined in the NBA rules.