Fun Basketball Trivia Questions and Answers
Have you got game when it comes to basketball knowledge? Many people know how to play the sport. Only a few know about the fascinating history behind basketball. Within a century of being invented by Dr. James Naismith, basketball grew into one of the world's most popular sports.
Challenge yourself and friends with this trivia and see where your basketball knowledge ranks:
What equipment did early basketball games use?
When Naismith invented basketball in 1891, players passed around a soccer ball, which was then thrown into a peach basket. The basket had a bottom, so the ball had to manually be retrieved from inside the basket after each field goal.
What are the measurements for a regulation-sized basket used in basketball?
A steel rim, measuring 18 inches in diameter, with an attached net is affixed to a backboard that measures 6 feet by 3.5 feet. The top of the rim is exactly 10 feet above the court and 4 feet from the baseline.
Which high school player set the record for highest scoring game?
Danny Heater scored 135 points for Burnsville High School in West Virginia on January 26, 1960. Heater made 53 of 70 field goals and 29 of 41 free throws in the game.
What popular play was once illegal?
Dunking was banned from college basketball from 1967 until 1976 under the “Lew Alcindor rule,” named for then UCLA all-star Lew Alcindor. Teams were assessed a technical foul for dunking a ball and no basket was awarded.
When was the first basketball game played outside the United States?
Basketball made its international debut in 1909 in St. Petersburg, Russia. It pitted a Russian team against an American team. It paved the way for the formation of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1932.
How does 3x3 basketball differ from traditional basketball?
3x3 features teams of three players who play half-court only. Baskets inside the arc are worth one point and outside the arc are worth two points. A game consists of one 10-minute period. The first team to either score 21 points, have the most points when regulation ends, or score two points in sudden death overtime is the winner.
Who has made the longest shot in a basketball game?
Harlem Globetrotters player Thunder Law made a field goal 109 feet 9 inches from the rim at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on November 11, 2013.
Which college basketball team holds the record for most consecutive wins?
The UConn Huskies women's basketball team won 90 consecutive games from 2008 to 2010 until finally losing to Stanford 71-59 on December 30, 2010. That winning streak included a pair of national titles. The Huskies eclipsed the previous record set by the UCLA men's basketball team by two games. UCLA won 88 straight contests from 1971 to 1974 — including three national titles — before falling to Notre Dame 71-70 on January 19, 1974.
These are just a few selections from a mountain of amazing facts associated with basketball. It's a sport dominated by highlight reel plays and dramatic finishes. From humble roots in a Massachusetts YMCA gymnasium, basketball has transformed into a hugely popular sport enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
