Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Basketball is surely an amazing game. Part of its charm lies in the fact that one cannot predict the winner in the game – no matter how much in favor the score tilts for a team. A game so gripping to watch and so thrilling to play, that it has become the staple high school and university sport, while entertaining audiences even beyond. Here are eight facts about the game that you probably did not know.
- Once Upon A Time, Spectators Interfered in The Game
In the old days, basketball hoops used to be pinned to the balcony floor and it was common for spectators to interfere when a rival team attempted to take a shot. In due course of time, people decided it would be wiser to relocate the hoops and prevent the crowd from stepping in to lend a helping hand to their favorite players.
- The Original Game of Basketball Had Real Baskets
Unlike the present day, bottom open sacks that allow the basketball to pass through and return to the game, ancient basketball was a lot more different. Here, the actual baskets were peach baskets and when someone scored a basket, officials would have to pause the match and retrieve the ball. The genius idea of baskets with open ends came around much later, when people finally realized that the old idea was a waste of time.
- Racism Was Big in Basketball
Today, racism is frowned upon and rightly so, but in the old days, basketball was considered and played as a game for the whites. In the 1950s, however, the Washington Capitals were the first team to introduce African Americans to the game, thus bringing an end to an era of supremacy. Today, many of our biggest names in the NBA are African American and the game is still big.
- There Was Actually Nothing Called Dribbling Once
Dribbling is extremely common in the present-day game of basketball. When soccer balls were used, players rubbed coal dust on their palms to grip the ball and not let it fall off. With the more flexible basketball, this is no longer a problem. Players now dribble their way across the court and the practice has become part of some of the most famous basketball drills.
- Free Throws Happened to Be Much More Relaxed
In the present day, free throws must be taken by the player who has received a foul. In the old times, however, any player from the team was allowed the opportunity. Captains chose their best strikers to do the job and this allowed for a lot more success per team.
- Soccer Balls Were Originally Used to Play the Game
Initially, the basketball was something unheard of. People played the game using soccer balls, and that was the trend for pretty much a very long time. In the last century or so, basketballs were introduced into the market as a product.
- Basketball Is Actually the Invention of a Gym Teacher
Mr. James Naismith, a gym teacher, ended up inventing the game. He designed the set up and gave away small gifts to those who could play it well. Nowadays, one can still buy gifts for children like the young boys Mr. Naismith taught – that too, without the game involved. All one must do is look for gifts for 13-year olds here.
- The NBA Is Not as Old as Basketball
As you know from what we’ve let you know earlier, the NBA did not end up making the game. The NBA is not nearly as old either. It came into existence only in as late as 5th August 1976, but you have to admit its importance since then has been tremendous. Today, it is the final body to make decisions on the game, and that helps the uniformity.
As you can probably see, basketball is a lovely game. It has so many possibilities and after you’ve finished reading the above facts, you will realize the game has more to it than you can see. One of the world’s most loved sports, we can agree that we still love our game and the spirit it invokes in us.
