basketball

Basketball, sport, usually played on an indoor court in which two competing teams of five players each attempt to score points or “baskets” by throwing an inflated ball so that it descends through one of two baskets suspended, at each end of the court, above their heads. The team scoring the most such points, through field goals or foul shots, wins the game. Because of its continuous action and frequent scoring, basketball is one of the most popular spectator as well as participant sports in the world.
The measurements of American and international basketball courts differ slightly. The basketball court is a rectangular area ranging in size from about 29 m by 15 m (94 ft by 50 ft) to about 22 m by 13 m (74 ft by 42 ft). At each end of the court is a vertical backboard, measuring usually about 2 m by 1 m (6 ft by 3 ft). Each backboard is anchored to a wall, suspended from the ceiling, or otherwise mounted so that its lower edge is about 2.7 m (9 ft) above the court. (Backboards originated to keep spectators from interfering with the game.) The baskets are attached firmly to the backboards about 3 m (10 ft) above the playing surface. Each basket is about 46 cm (18 in) in diameter and consists of a horizontal hoop, or metal ring, from which a fringe of wide-meshed white netting is hung. The regulation basketball is an inflated, leather- or nylon-covered sphere that weighs from 567 to 624 g (20 to 22 oz) and has a circumference of about 76 cm (30 in).
A conventional basketball team, which is directed by a coach, is made up of two forwards, two guards, and a centre. At the beginning of play, called the tip-off, the forwards of one team are stationed in the forecourt—that is, the half of the playing area containing the basket at which their team is shooting. The two guards stand in the backcourt. The centre, usually the tallest player on the team, stands inside a circle that has a radius of about 61 cm (24 in) and is located midway along a line painted across the middle of the court.
In recent years almost all professional basketball players in the United States have come from the college ranks; professional teams conduct annual drafts to select promising players. The principal professional league in the United States is governed by the National Basketball Association (NBA), formed in 1949. The NBA has 29 teams, in 2 conferences (Eastern and Western) made up of 4 regional divisions. Play-offs are held at the end of each 82-game season to determine the league champion. The NBA also gives a number of annual awards, including awards for most valuable player and rookie of the year.