Basketball is a sport played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket¹. Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891 at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts¹.

How much does a basketball weigh?

A standard basketball used in the National Basketball Association (NBA) weighs between 20.0 and 22.0 ounces (567 to 624 grams)²³⁴. This is also the same weight range for men’s college and high school basketball, as well as international competitions³. The official NBA basketball has a circumference of 29.5 inches and an air pressure of 7.5 to 8.5 psi².

FAQs about Basketball

How many players are on a basketball team?

A basketball team can have up to 15 players, but only five can play on the court at a time¹.

How long is a basketball game?

A basketball game consists of four quarters of 12 minutes each in the NBA, and two halves of 20 minutes each in college and high school¹. There are also breaks between quarters and halves, as well as timeouts and overtime periods if needed.

What are the positions in basketball?

The five positions in basketball are point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center¹. Each position has different roles and responsibilities on the court, such as ball-handling, shooting, passing, rebounding, defending, etc.

What are the basic rules of basketball?

Some of the basic rules of basketball are:

• The ball must be dribbled or passed to move it across the court; it cannot be carried or kicked¹.
• The ball must stay within the boundaries of the court; if it goes out of bounds, it is given to the other team¹.
• The team with the ball has 24 seconds to shoot it towards the basket; if they fail to do so, it is a shot clock violation and the ball is given to the other team¹.
• The team without the ball must not touch or interfere with the ball or the player with the ball; this is called a foul and may result in free throws or possession for the other team¹.
• The team that scores more points at the end of the game wins; if the score is tied at the end of regulation time, an overtime period of five minutes is played until one team has more points¹.

Fun facts about basketball

• The first basketball game was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets as goals¹.
• The highest score in an NBA game was 186-184, when the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets in triple overtime in 1983¹.
• The tallest player in NBA history was Manute Bol, who stood at 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 meters)¹.
• The shortest player in NBA history was Muggsy Bogues, who stood at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 meters)¹.
• The most points scored by a single player in an NBA game was 100, by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962¹.

Source:
(1) Basketball – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball.
(2) Basketball (ball) – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_%28ball%29.
(3) How much does a basketball weigh? – Understanding the Weigh in Official . https://thegameadvise.com/how-much-does-a-basketball-weigh/.
(4) Basketball | Definition, History, Rules, Court, Players, & Facts. https://www.britannica.com/sports/basketball.