Basketball is a team sport where players use the hands and feet to pass a small rubber ball through a basket mounted high on a wall. The game is played in four 10-minute quarters, and the team with the most points wins; a 5-minute overtime period may be added if the score is tied at the end of regulation. The game is very fast paced and requires a lot of running, as well as agility and quick changes in direction. Players must also be able to read the opposing teams’ movements and play and adjust their own tactics accordingly.
The game of basketball is not very old, but it quickly became established in American colleges and then spread worldwide. Professional leagues and governing bodies emerged during the 1920s, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed in 1946. The NBA has since grown into a billion-dollar enterprise and has become one of the most popular sports in the world.
Today, the game is played in a variety of settings from street and playgrounds to arenas, gymnasiums and international competitions sanctioned by FIBA. The sport has also evolved from its simple rules and primitive equipment to include a wide variety of skills, strategies, and physical demands.
To properly shoot a basket, a player must have excellent hand-eye coordination, precise arm extension and good lift from the legs. In addition, the shooting stroke is very powerful, and the player must be able to maintain control of the ball at all times while avoiding defenders. There are several different kinds of shots, including jump shots and layups, which involve the player leaping toward the basket to make a shot.
The game also includes defensive elements, with players attempting to intercept passes or steal the ball or block shots without fouling. In addition, either team can collect rebounds from missed shots that bounce off the rim or backboard.
Each team is composed of five players, who are divided into playing positions. The tallest and strongest players are the centre and power forward, who act as their team’s primary rebounders and shot blockers. The shooting guard and point guard are the two main players with the best ball handling skills and the ability to facilitate a team’s offense. The wing players are more versatile and can move between the guard and forward positions.
Throughout history, basketball has attracted a number of famous players. These include George Mikan, who was one of the first dominant “big men”; ball-handling wizards Bob Cousy and Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics; crowd-pleasing centers Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson, who played for the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters; and more recent big men Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as playmakers John Stockton and Isiah Thomas. The game has also attracted many foreign stars, such as Latin American superstars Manu Ginobili and Pau Gasol and European star Joakim Noah.
