Useless Knowledge about Basketball: Curious facts, amazing players, phenomenal records and astonishing anecdotes from the world of basketball
By Mia Mirillia
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About this ebook
Delve into the fascinating, bizarre and often unbelievable world of basketball - far beyond baskets, threes and buzzer beaters. "Useless Knowledge About Basketball" invites you to explore the lesser-known but more amazing aspects of this globally beloved sport. This book is not only a tribute to the game that makes millions of hearts beat faster, but also a dazzling collection of anecdotes, curiosities and facts that will surprise even the most die-hard basketball fan.
Have you ever wondered what relationship famous people who seem to have nothing to do with the sport have with basketball? Or what impact technology, sponsorship and even the movie industry have had on the game? From the amazing stories behind the most iconic basketball arenas to curious basketball-related advertising campaigns to surprising basketball references in movies, books, and music, this book offers a unique perspective on the sport that goes far beyond the court.
"Useless Knowledge About Basketball" is not only a source of witty party conversation, but also a loving testament to basketball's versatility and cultural influence. Every page is filled with passionate research designed to stun even the most informed fan while intriguing newcomers to the sport. It's not about how to execute the perfect jump shot or which teams have won the most championships. It's about the small, often overlooked stories and facts that make up basketball's rich tapestry.
So grab a basketball, get comfortable, and prepare to dive into a world of surprises. Whether you've been playing basketball for decades or just started following the league on TV, there's something for everyone to discover in "Useless Knowledge About Basketball." It's the ultimate guide to the less-traveled, but all the more interesting corners of the basketball world.
Click "Buy Now" now and give yourself or a loved one a huge treat.
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Useless Knowledge about Basketball - Mia Mirillia
Table of contents
1. The beginnings of basketball
The emergence of the game
The game of basketball as we know it today has a fascinating and sometimes unusual history. Human ingenuity has always been able to create excellent entertainment from the simplest of means. If you look a little closer at the origins of this sport, you will come across some surprising and curious details:
The game of basketball was born in a rather unusual place: a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. But what Canadian physical education teacher Dr. James Naismith created back then had little to do with the fast-paced sport of today. Naismith was faced with the task of developing a new indoor game to keep his students moving in the cold winter.
A major influence on the game idea was a childhood game called Duck on a Rock
that Naismith had played in his youth in Canada. The object of this game was to throw a stone (the duck
) from a larger stone (the rock
) to hit it, and then retrieve it before another player hit it.
In his first basketball lesson, Naismith set up two peach baskets in the gym, one at each end. These baskets still had their bottoms, of course, meaning that if a ball fell in, someone had to climb a ladder to get it out. Only later were the bottoms of the baskets removed to make the game more fluid.
The first basketball games were literally a blast
because the ball was originally a soccer. Without the technique and control that modern basketball players have today, this resulted in many bruises and abrasions when the hard ball hit the players.
Naismith's original 13 rules did not allow hitting the ball with the fist or running with the ball in the hand. This means that dribbling, one of the most famous movements in basketball today, did not exist in the first games.
Another interesting detail is that in the first games each team had nine players and the playing field was about half the size of a basketball court today. This meant that the field was quite crowded and the game was more like a rugby match.
Originally, defenders were not allowed to directly block or touch the player with the ball. So there was no way to physically stop the player with the ball, which led to many points and a very fast game.
The first official basketball games took place without referees. This meant that players had to rely on honor and fairness to decide which team had scored a point or whether a foul had been committed. This often led to heated discussions among the players.
Although the game was invented in a gymnasium, the first public basketball game took place outdoors. It took place in 1892 on a sand court in Springfield, where players had to contend with elements such as wind and uneven ground.
In the early years, basketball had a different name. It was often called Naismith ball
, after its inventor. However, the name basketball
prevailed when players and fans began to name the sport after the characteristic baskets into which the ball was thrown.
The first rules
When Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball, he also established 13 rules that served as the basis for the game. Many of these original rules seem strange or even comical from today's perspective when compared to modern basketball.
The very first rule stated that the ball could be hit with one or both hands in any direction, but not with the fist. It may seem strange that hitting the ball with the fist was expressly forbidden, but Naismith obviously wanted to ensure that the game did not become too physical, especially since it was played indoors.
Another noteworthy detail is that there was no special basketball at that time. Rule 2 simply described the ball as round
. In fact, it was a soccer used because of its availability and round shape. The specific characteristics of a basketball, such as grip and bounce, were still years away.
A curious detail of the original rules is rule 3, which states that a player in possession of the ball must either stop or use one foot as a pivot. That is, there was no dribbling or running with the ball as we know it today. Imagine how different the game would have been if this rule had been retained!
One of the biggest differences from today's game is Rule 5, which states that there was no three-second rule. Instead, players were prohibited from entering the court until the ball was back in play after a shot. This would have slowed the game down considerably and virtually eliminated the fast-break game as we know it today.
Rule 6 describes the number of players in a team. It stated that a team had to consist of nine players. The playing field was smaller than it is today, and if you imagine nine players playing on each side of this smaller field, you almost can't imagine how crowded it must have been.
Rule 7 dealt with fouls and specified that a foul was committed when a player struck the ball with his fist, touched an opponent's leg or touched the person with the ball. If three consecutive fouls were committed, the opposing team was to be awarded a point.
According to Rule 8, the goal of the game was to throw the ball into the opponent's basket, and each successful throw was scored a point. Threes