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Introduction

Basketball is a simple sport that is mostly popular in North America, and mostly within the U.S., although it was invented by a Canadian man. Basketball is popular because it combines fast action and small teams that make it easy for spectators to follow.

Basketball is also one of the cheapest sports to play in North America due to the prevalence of basketball courts in public parks. All any basketball players need is a ball and some comfortable running shoes.

How to Play

The rules of basketball require that both teams field five players at a time, generally three offensive and two defensive. Throwing (“”shooting””) the ball through the hoop/net is worth two points, or three points if the shot came from outside the three-point line.

The ball itself must constantly remain in motion: players can only move with the ball if they are dribbling it (bouncing it up and down), and if they ever stop dribbling then they cannot move. Trying to take the ball from another player can be quite physical, so players often pass the ball to their own teammates to protect it and help set up better shots on the net.

There are rules that prevent teams from passing the ball around and not advancing the game, and there is also a shot clock that will forcibly give possession to the other team if the current team does not attempt to score quickly enough.

How to Spectate

The positions on a basketball team are:
– 2 defencemen who protect the court near the net
– 2 forwards who proactively make plays and try to steal the ball from the other team
– 1 center who is focused on making plays and is supported by the other team

Basketball can feel overwhelming, but the game tends to follow a simple pattern: one player gets the ball and brings it to the other team’s half of the court to try to score on their net. If the defending team successfully gets possession away from the attacking team, they have the chance to reverse the situation and do the same.

The sport of basketball might seem chaotic, but this loop is repeated throughout a game. What makes it interesting is the aggression – intercepting a pass or stealing a ball from a player immediately changes what each player wants to do in the game.

Leagues

The U.S.’s National Basketball League (NBA) is the premiere league in North America and Canda, although there is only one Canadian team in it. Despite Canada’s involvement in basketball’s origins, the sport is not very popular there outside of big cities like Toronto.

Outside of North America, basketball is less popular, but there are some dedicated national leagues in Europe (Spain, France, Greece) and a Chinese league as well.

Trivia

In 2019, the Canadian team the Toronto Raptors was able to make it all the way to the playoffs (the league finals for each season) and beat the Golden State Warriors. This was a big surprise to most spectators, because the Raptors have historically been one of the weakest teams in the NBA.