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Introduction

Basketball

Basketball is an athletic sport, usually played on an indoor courtin which two competing teams of five layers each attempt to score bythrowing an inflated ball so that it descends through one of twobaskets suspended, at each end of the court, above their heads. Theteam scoring the most such throws, through field goals or foul shots,wins the game. Because of its continuous action and frequent scoring,basketball is one of the most popular spectator as well as participantsports in the world.Basketball, extremely popular around the world, is a court gameplayed by two teams of five players each. The object is to put a ballthrough a hoop, or basket, and thus score more points than theopposing team.Although basketball can by play outdoors, it was invented toserve as an exciting indoor exercise for the winter months in anorthern climate. It quickly became a spectator sport, however, andnow attracts large audiences to gymnasiums and arenas, especially inthe United States , South America, and Europe .The sport is played on the amateur level by high schools,colleges, other groups, and, since 1936, by national teams in theOlympic Games. It also is played by professional athletes, notably inthe United States and Europe . The foremost championships contendedfor are those of the National Basketball Association ( U.S.professionals), the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( U.S.colleges), and the Olympic Games.

History of Basketball

Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadianclergyman, educator, and physicianJames Naismith. Naismithintroduced the game when we were an instructor at the Young Men'sChristian Association Training School (now Springfield College ) inSpringfield , Massachusetts . At the request of his superior, Dr. LutherH. Gulick, he organized a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winterplay. The game involved elements of American football, soccer, andhockey, and the first ball used was a soccer ball. Teams had nineplayers, and the goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to the walls.By 1897-1898, teams of five became standard. The game rapidlyspread nationwide and to Canada and other parts of the world, playedby both women and men; it also became a popular informal outdoorgame. U.S. servicemen in World War II (1939-1945) popularized thesport in many other countries.A number of U.S. colleges adopted the game between about1893 and 1895. In 1934 the first college games were staged in NewYork City 's Madison Square Garden , and college basketball began toattract heightened interest. By the 1950s basketball had become amajor college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest inprofessional basketball.The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formedin 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a lessrough game. This league only lasted five years before disbanding; itsdemise spawned a number of loosely organized leagues throughoutthe northeastern United States . One of the first and greatest proteams was the Original Celtics, organized about 1915 in New York City. They played as many as 150 games a season and dominatedbasketball until 1936. The Harlem Globetrotters, founded in 1927, anotable exhibition team, specializes in amusing court antics and expertball handling.In 1949 two subsequent professional leagues, the NationalBasketball League (formed in 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (1946) merged to create the National Basketball Association(NBA). The Boston Celtics, led by their center Bill Russell, dominatedthe NBA from the late 1950s through the 1960s. By the 1960s, proteams from coast to coast played before crowds of many millionsannually. Wilt Chamberlain, a center for the Los Angeles Lakers, wasanother leading player during the era, and his battles with Russell

were eagerly anticipated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also a center, came toprominence during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his famed "sky hook"shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and dominated theopposition.The NBA suffered a drop in popularity during the late 1970s, butwas resuscitated, principally through the growing popularity of its mostprominent players. Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, and Magic Johnsonof the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with injecting excitement intothe league in the 1980s through their superior skills and decade-longrivalry. During the late 1980s Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls roseto stardom and helped the Bulls dominate the NBA during the early1990s. A new generation of basketball stars, including Shaquille O'Nealof the Orlando Magic and Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets, havesustained the NBA's growth in popularity.In 1959 a Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield ,Massachusetts . Its rosters include the names of great players,coaches, referees, and people who have contributed significantly to thedevelopment of the game.

Rules of Basketball

Professional, college, and high school games are similar exceptin length and in range of basic skills. Professional games are 48minutes long, divided into quarters; college games, 40 minutes, playedin halves; and high school games, 32 minutes, broken into quarters. If a game is tied at the end of regulation time, overtime (3 to 5 minutes,depending on the level of competition) is played.Although no set of dimensions for a basketball court isuniversally accepted, the recommended size is 94 ft (28.65 m) longand 50 ft (15.24 m) wide.Two points are given for a field goal, which is a shot that goesthrough the hoop--10 ft (3 m) high--while the ball is in play. The NBAinstituted, beginning with the 1979-1980 season, the 3-point fieldgoal, awarded to a player who scores from beyond a semicircle at adistance of an even 22 ft (6.7 m) all the way around the basket. TheNCAA followed suit, beginning in 1986-87, with a 3-point semicirclethat averages 19.75 ft (6 m) from the basket. One point is awarded for