The basketball game is usually played indoors on a rectangular court between two teams. The members of each team toss the ball through the opponent’s basket. What is special about basketball is that it is a sport that is strictly of U.S. origin. The game was created in 1891 by James Naismith, who was a physical education instructor and people were excited about the game. The first copy of the rules was established in 1892. As the game initially used two half-bushel peach baskets to make goals, this is how the sport got its name. Today, the game is widely popular and as famous as the Betfair Casino.
The early years
During the initial years, the number of players in the team varied based on the size of the playing area. Canada was the first country to introduce the game outside the United States. Later, the game spread to several other countries such Australia, China, France, Japan, and India. Membership of YMCAs swelled because of the game and this only raised the popularity and accessibility of the game. There were several variations of the uniform and the styles. For example, players wore jersey tights, knee-length football trousers, and short padded pants. During the early years, the baskets were attached to balconies.
The popularity of the basketball sport grew rapidly across the world. Later, because of the media, cable television and television exposure, the interest in the game deepened during the 1980s. Basketball moved to the forefront of the gaming scene in the US. There were four areas of the game in the American sporting scene such as the high school and college basketball, women’s basketball, professional basketball and international basketball. The professional games led to the formation of professional clubs. The sport of professional basketball was hampered because of Great Depression of the 1930s. It was in 1946 that the new Basketball Association of America was organized and professional basketball assumed major league status.
Basketball is a winter game traditionally, but the sport attracts a large number of television audience during the early summer and in late spring. With the rising popularity of the game, the salaries of the players rose. By mid-2000s, an annual average salary of the players was more than $5 million, and there are players who earn more than $20 million every year.
International basketball competition is immensely popular, and the basketball game has been included in the Olympic Games and the Pan-American Games. World championships began in 1950 and FIBA is the men’s tournament. There are slightly different rules for international basketball courts. The game is particularly popular in Italy, and the Italian professional basketball league is highly popular. There are several basketball leagues in Spain and Europe. Today, Basketball is played from New York to Paris, to Beijing. You can enjoy the game in the dusty plains of Africa and the city parks of New York. Basketball only requires a Ball to play.
