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How long is a wheelchair basketball game


Wheelchair Basketball Facts and History

Did you recently become disabled and are looking for a way to get exercise? Do you love sports and the team comradery that comes with it?

If you answered yes to those questions, get ready to step into the world of adaptive sports.

In this article, we share wheelchair basketball facts regarding how this team sport is played, what’s required to join in, and the equipment needed on the court. Let’s roll!

What is Wheelchair Basketball?

Wheelchair basketball follows a similar format as running basketball, except the players utilize wheelchairs to move around the court. 

It’s suitable for people with a wide range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, congenital disabilities, Spina Bifida, polio, paralysis, and amputations.

This is a fast-paced game, with two teams that have five players and seven substitutes on each. Like running basketball, the goal is to shoot the basketball into the opposing team’s basket to score.

A wheelchair basketball match is 40 minutes total, broken up into four periods of ten minutes. Following a tied score at the end of the fourth period, another period of five minutes is added to break the tie.

The governing body responsible for outlining the rules of wheelchair basketball is the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). 

Wheelchair Basketball Equipment

Playing wheelchair basketball requires the ball, and most importantly- a specialized wheelchair. 

A basketball wheelchair is manual, meaning the player must propel themselves by the push rims. 

These wheelchairs feature high-tech designs that are customized to fit the unique needs of the player.  

They are incredibly lightweight, often made with an aluminum or titanium frame, designed for optimal speed and maneuverability, allowing the player to turn quickly and anticipate sudden movements.

The players pass, dribble, and shoot the ball. The official basketball of FIBA, the Paralympic Games, and other world championships is manufactured by Molten. 

A smaller Molten ball is used by women’s teams while the men play with a larger ball. There are two models: the GG made of composite and the GL made of leather.

A Brief Overview of Wheelchair Basketball History

The dream of wheelchair basketball came to fruition back in 1945 the same year WWII ended. Patients undergoing rehabilitation at two USA World WarII veterans administration hospitals in California and Massachusetts began to play as a means to adjust to a new life in a wheelchair.

It didn’t take long for wheelchair basketball to catch on, and in 1949 six teams were formed to compete in the first national wheelchair basketball tournament in Illinois.  

That same year, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) was born in the US. Afterward, wheelchair basketball quickly spread throughout the country to become the most popular sport for the disabled.

It wasn’t until the mid-1960s that wheelchair basketball for women began to emerge, and in 1968 a women’s team traveled to the Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel to compete alongside the US men’s team.

But even then, it would still be years until organized women’s teams were formed to compete against each other in the US. In 1978 an official women’s division with six teams was formed, competing in the national tournament.

The US wheelchair basketball team, the Pan Am Jets brought the sport over to Europe in 1955 when they attended the International Stoke Mandeville Games. 

Wheelchair netball was played at the time, but after the Pan Am Jets dominated the games, European players quickly replaced wheelchair netball with wheelchair basketball.

Wheelchair Basketball Paralympics

Paralympic basketball was one of the inaugural sports at the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome, and today it is one of the highest honors for a team to win the Paralympics.

The US men’s team took home gold for both Class A and Class B events that year, as well as the year after. 

But how did the rules of wheelchair basketball evolve to become what it is today? We look at how this beautiful game is played in the next section!

How to Play Wheelchair Basketball

When it comes to the rules of wheelchair basketball, it isn’t much different from running basketball. 

The court, height of the basket, three-point line, and foul line are all the same measurements. In 1964, international rules were implemented that led to a few slight adjustments to rules around the world.

Today, the official rules by which national teams abide are those outlined by IWBF. We break down the rules in a few different sections below.

1. How to Score

When one team shoots the ball into the opposing team’s basket, a goal is earned. Once the ball is accosted by a player, that team has 24 seconds to try and sink a shot. If the team is unable to score within that time frame, the right of play is given to the opposing team. 

There are a few different ways to score a goal:

  • Free throw goals count for one point.
  • Goals scored from the two-point area count for two-point.
  • A goal scored from the three-point area counts for three points.

2. How to Dribble

Dribbling is when a player propels the wheelchair while bouncing the ball at the same time, traveling towards the opposing team’s net. 

However, there is no double-dribble in wheelchair basketball. If the ball is picked up and/or placed on the player’s lap, they can only push the chair twice before they must shoot, pass, or dribble. If more than two pushes are made without dribbling the ball, a traveling violation can be handed out.

As well, the player must not touch the court surface with their feet while holding the ball.

3. How Fouls Work

In wheelchair basketball, the chair is regarded as part of the player’s body if contact is made while charging, going out of bounds, blocking, etc.

Technical fouls can be administered for a variety of reasons, including:

  • An offensive player stays in the key area for longer than three seconds.
  • A player lifts their legs or lifts out of their chair to take advantage of the play.

If a player falls out of their wheelchair, the referee stops the game and makes a call regarding whether the player is at risk of an injury.

For an inbounds play, the offensive player must wait for the ball to be handed to the inbounding player by the referee until moving into the key.

Wheelchair Basketball Classification System

To finish off our article about wheelchair basketball, it’s important to mention the classification system that’s required to play at an international level.

The player must first complete a Player Evaluation Process to confirm they meet the following criteria:

  • Eligible Impairment as defined by the IPC Classification Code: They are impaired with muscle power, passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia, or athetosis.
  • Underlying Condition: This is a health condition that may lead to an Eligible Impairment or helps establish that the athlete has an Eligible Impairment.

What is Sports Class Allocation?

A player’s Sports Class is determined by the players’ physical ability to play wheelchair basketball and complete skills such as dribbling, passing, catching, shooting, rebounding, pivoting, and pushing.  

It’s important to note that the assessment doesn’t focus on a player’s skill level, but rather their physical capacity to complete a task.

During observation, players are classified with points in classes one, two, three, and four. The lower the number, the more severe the disability, whereas the higher number is given to a player with a mild disability.

These classes are distinguished depending on the player’s Volume of Action. This refers to the player’s trunk stability and how the trunk allows them to reach without needing to hold the wheelchair before they overbalance.

Particular skill characteristics are also noted, as each class has its own set of characteristics that qualify a player. 

Once each player has been given classification, the total team balance that can be on the court at any time is 14.0. That means the total classification point of all five players must not exceed 14. 0 points, or else they may receive a technical foul.

Wheelchair Basketball Facts Conclusion

Wheelchair basketball is one of the leading sports for people with disabilities, allowing people of all ages to enjoy fast-paced competition and exercise in a team setting.

To conclude this article about wheelchair basketball facts, the best starting point for joining a team would be to look up your local wheelchair basketball chapter and contact them for more information on the rules, regulations, and equipment.


References and Resources:

  • IWBF Rulebook
  • 2021 IWBF Classification Rules
  • 2021 IWBF Classification Manual
  • National Wheelchair Basketball Association

What is Wheelchair Basketball - ActiveSG

What is Wheelchair Basketball?

Image: Sport Singapore

Wheelchair basketball is played by people with different level of physical disabilities that prevents running, jumping and pivoting. Riding on a wheelchair, a game of basketball is played among two teams of five players each. World War II veterans originally developed the sport in 1945 as part of rehabilitation in the USA. Since then it has grown worldwide and was introduced at the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games. Today, the sport is practised in nearly 100 countries.

How is it played?

The sport is very similar to regular basketball. The court, the hoop and the backboard are all of the same dimension. Each team has 12 players and only five on court at any point in time. The objective is to score as many baskets within four periods of 10 minutes each. Players use small and lightweight wheelchairs and usually comes with one or two smaller wheels at the front, this is to provide balance and stability. They’re also strapped into the chair to allow them to be agile while in the chair.

Tournament Rules

Players cannot travel with the ball and are required to throw or bounce after every two touches on their wheelchair. Unlike regular basketball, double dribble is not considered a violation. It is allowed to dribble again after picking up one’s dribble.

The scoring system is similar to able-bodied basketball:

  • Free throws are worth one point.
  • Field goals are worth two points.
  • Field goals beyond the three-point line are worth three points.

Fouls occur when a player or their wheelchair comes into contact with their opponent, and the wheelchair is considered as an extension of the player’s body in relation to establishing responsibility for contact on the court.

Classification

Wheelchair basketball players are classified by a point system, from 1 to 4.5 points. Sum of points is not allowed to exceed 14.0 point for five players on the court at any given time. Lesser points indicate a more significant activity limitation.

1 point

  • Little or no trunk control and thus cannot bend forward or sideways or rotate to catch and pass the ball
  • Rely on arms to return to upright position when unbalanced
  • Backrest of the wheelchair is a bit higher for a stable position and athletes are strapped to the wheelchair

2 points

  • Able to lean forward and rotate their body to some extent, allowing them to catch the ball within a larger radius
  • Wheelchairs have a higher backrest and strapping for trunk support

3 points

  • Have trunk control that allows them to fully rotate and lean forward, but does not allow them to lean to the sides
  • Wheelchair has a low backrest as they do not need sitting support

4 points

  • Able to move forward and rotate
  • Able to partially lean to the sides
  • Have difficulty with controlled movement to one side due to limitations in one lower limb

4. 5 points

  • Least eligible impairment
  • No restriction in trunk rotation or leaning forward or sideways

However, it is a misconception that wheelchair basketball players use the chair for everyday mobility. In fact, many wheelchair basketball athletes get out of their chair after the game and walk around. These people may not have disability noticeable to the eye but are deemed by a medical professional to have a permanent disability that disqualifies them from playing competitive basketball. For example, a person who has undergone reconstructive knee surgery will fall in this category.

Wheelchair Basketball in Singapore

The wheelchair basketball community practices twice weekly, Wednesday and Saturday, at the United World College (Dover Campus).

Wednesday: 8pm - 10pm

Saturday: 6. 30pm - 9.30pm

Website: https://sdsc.org.sg/

Email: [email protected]

Contact number: 6342 3564

Wheelchair basketball: how to give children a new idea of ​​inclusion

Children can (and should!) talk and talk a lot about inclusion, but sometimes just talking is not enough. Our blogger Anna Andriyevskaya talks about unusual lessons during which absolutely all students play basketball in wheelchairs.

Unusual workshops are held in several schools in Munich: during sports activities, schoolchildren play basketball in wheelchairs. The presence of a disability or other restrictions does not matter. Inclusion has been on the current agenda in Europe for a long time, but many government institutions still have no idea how to put it into practice and how to live, learn and work together has become a natural process.

With the support of the Berlin organization High Art Bureau, the sports association RBB München Iguanas came up with an interesting way to "make equal" children with special needs and ordinary schoolchildren - a workshop on basketball in wheelchairs. This is a team game where players are literally on the same level and learn to interact in unusual conditions.

Athletes on wheels

The RBB München Iguanas was founded in 2013 as an integration project. People with no limitations, who previously could not even imagine being in a wheelchair, play basketball on wheels with wheelchair athletes. Now this principle has come to schools - after all, the sooner children learn equal rules of communication in society, the more effective their communication will be in adulthood.

How are the workshops? All that is required from the school is a gym with basketball hoops and readiness on the part of the management and physical education teachers. Students aged 10-17 can participate. The organizers bring 12 wheelchairs with them, and the number of people who want to participate is usually much larger.

“In general, each participant spends 2.5 hours in a chair, and taking into account the change of participants, classes can sometimes last up to three hours,” says Ronald Hassler, one of the authors of the project. - Master classes are held after the main lessons, everyone can take part in them, regardless of their features and abilities. At the beginning of the workshop, we analyze the features of a wheelchair, explain that it is not only an auxiliary means of movement, but really a sports equipment.”

Wheelchair basketball is taught by international coaches from the RBB München club. Birgit and Roland know what it's like to live and play in wheelchairs. First, a few exercises to get used to the new vehicle. For example, driving forward, backward, turning, braking, crossing an obstacle. Then a couple of tasks to strengthen the team spirit, working out interaction with the ball and the wheelchair.

Team spirit and new opportunities

And finally the most interesting! The game has begun! If you watch from the side, you can see that the spirit of the game is so captivating that the participants forget about the restrictions. The main thing is the feeling of the ball and the joy from the balls successfully thrown into the ring.

After a two-hour workshop in a wheelchair, each participant notes that they enjoyed the match despite their unusual vehicle. At the same time, children have an awareness of what a person feels who cannot, like them, get up and run.

“At the end of each workshop, the students are so enthusiastic that they are ready to come again,” notes Roland Hassler. - We see that for them there is no problem of communicating with players who really move in wheelchairs. Younger students especially like this game, they enjoy it. Older students are more ambitious, they really want to win, and we are trying to convey to them that this is not just relaxing activities for people with disabilities, but really a sport with real achievements.

Interestingly, wheeled basketball players do some things much better than regular basketball players, such as blocking. By the way, basketball on wheels can really be played not only by people with disabilities, but also by everyone. Basketball players in wheelchairs play in different leagues.

Sport as therapy

Nico Hausammann, captain of the Swiss wheelchair basketball team, says: “Wheelchair basketball completely replaces the self-help group, especially when you have recently been injured. The effect is greater than from a visit to a psychologist or therapist. You are focused on sports, have fun together as a team and don't think about everyday problems."

The project "We will roll you - Basketball on wheels in Munich schools" shows how interesting and useful interaction can be in an inclusive society. According to one of the authors of the project, Birgit Meitner, the older people are, the more prejudices they have about the wheelchair situation.

The project is about more than just access to "sports for the disabled" or "inclusive sports". It allows participants to strengthen communication and social skills, act more consciously and intuitively choose the desired format of interaction in society.

As part of the project "We will roll you - Basketball on Wheels in Munich Schools", every school in Germany and Russia can declare their desire to host such a master class. To do this, write: [email protected].

Photo: Thilo Schmülgen.

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120 years of basketball. Total Recall - Basketball diaries - Blogs

Remembering the entire history of basketball is not an easy task. In the year of the birth of the beloved game, the Basketball diaries blog on Sports.ru takes up this work and remembers the founders of the game, milestones in the development of basketball, the most important records and celebrity stories.

1891

- The unofficial birth date of basketball is December 21, 1891 . It happened in Springfield. Young teacher James Naismith decided to revive the gymnastics lesson - he attached two fruit baskets without a bottom to the railing of the balcony, into which it was necessary to throw a soccer ball.

- 18 people took part in the first match (played 9 on 9), the game ended with a score of 1-0.

1892

- On January 15, Naismith published the first rules of basketball in the school newspaper. It included 13 items. The match consisted of two halves of 15 minutes, dribbling was not allowed: it was possible to move around the court only without the ball, and having received it, the player had to stop and either pass the ball to a partner or throw it into the basket. The number of players in the team was arbitrary (up to 50 in each team), but necessarily equal to the number of players in the opposing team. The player with the ball could not be attacked - it was only possible to prevent him from disposing of the ball. In case of violation of this rule, a foul was recorded, a repeated foul led to the disqualification of the violator - until the goal was scored. Three fouls in a row committed by any team were recorded as a "goal" in its basket - provided that the opponents themselves did not commit a single foul during this time. At one time, the team also had a goalkeeper guarding the basket.

- The first matches under the rules just published caused the first changes - the fans on the balconies caught the flying balls and tried to throw them into the opponent's basket, so the backboards appeared, which became the protection of the basket.

1893

- Iron rings with mesh appear.

1894

– The first official rules are issued. The game is becoming more and more popular and penetrates first to the East (Japan, China, Philippines), and then to Europe and South America.

1895

– Introduction of the free throw. Distance - 5 m 25 cm.

1896

- Dribbling in all its variants is legal.

1897

- The first basketball game between student teams took place. The University of Iowa beat rivals from Chicago with a score of 15:12.

1898

- Creation of the first league - NBL (National Basketball League). However, this league was not destined to exist for long - after 5 years it collapsed.

1901

– The emergence of basketball in Russia. The first mention belongs to George Duperron from St. Petersburg, a well-known Russian propagandist of physical culture and sports. He is, by the way, the founder of Russian football and the first Russian football referee.

1902

– A year later, a description of the game and its rules called the ball in the basket appears in the collection “Mobile Games”.

1904

- Team USA played the first demonstration basketball games at the Olympic Games.

1908

- A new rule is introduced - for 5 personal fouls a player is sent off the floor.

- In the spring of 1908, basketball, along with football and gymnastics, was included in the program of regularly held classes at the sports grounds of Krestovsky Island.

1910

- In February-March 1910, competitions for the Mayak Cup were held, the winner of which was the Lilac team (according to the color of the athletes' T-shirts) consisting of: Vasiliev, Vladimirov, Burykin, Nurdman, Machikhin.

1912

- The book of the famous sports figure G.A.Duperron "Football and other outdoor games of the same type" played a significant role in the popularization of the game, where basketball also occupied a worthy place.

1916

- Basketball is gaining popularity in Europe - demonstration games are held, several collections concerning this game are published.

1919

- A basketball tournament was held between the army teams of the USA, France and Italy.

1920

- In 1920, the Supreme Council of Physical Education introduced basketball as an independent subject to physical education institutions: the Moscow Institute of Physical Education, the Main Military School of Physical Education for Workers, the District School of Sports Instructors and Pre-Conscripts.

1921

- On February 21-22, 1921, the first public basketball management body was created in our country - the Basketball Section of Petrograd, one of the first decisions of which was the holding of the Petrograd Championship.

1932

- On June 18, the International Federation of Basketball Associations was formed in Geneva, in Russian transliteration - FIBA The Latvians became champions, in the final they beat the Spanish team with a score of 24:18.

1936

- Men's basketball makes its Olympic debut in Berlin. Gold was taken by the US team, who defeated Canada in the final with a score of 19.:8, bronze went to Mexico.

1937

- Kansas, Missouri hosted the first national college basketball tournament.

- In the same year, the National Basketball League (NBL) returned to America. 12 teams participated in the first season, and in just 12 years of the league's existence, 38 teams managed to play in it.

1938

- NCAA education. The Ohio State became the champion of the newly formed league.

- For the first time the European Women's Basketball Championship was held. The first winner of the competition was the Italian team.

1940

- On February 20, the first basketball game was shown on TV.

1945

- Wheelchair basketball originated in the USA. Former basketball players, during the Second World War, who received serious injuries and injuries on the battlefields, did not want to part with their favorite game and came up with "their" basketball.

1946

- In June, prominent sportsmen met at New York's Commodore Hotel to discuss the possibility of creating a professional basketball league. Most of them owned sports palaces and hockey clubs. As a result, 11 cities entered the league. It became known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).

- Dick Fitzgerald (27, Toronto Huskies) became the youngest coach in league history.

1947

- There were 80 players in the first-ever BAA Draft. Of those, 10 left in the first round, with Clifton McNeely going to Pittsburgh as the first pick in the first draft.

1950

– Argentina hosted the first FIBA ​​World Cup. The champions were the hosts, who defeated the American team in the final with a score of 64:50.

1951

- Boston hosted the first All-Star Game in league history. The East confidently beat the West with a score of 111:94, and Ed Macaulay, who scored 20 points, received the title of the best player of the meeting.

- In the regular season game between Indianapolis and Rochester, 6 extra five minutes were played, which was an NBA record.

1953

- The first Women's World Basketball Championship was held. The Americans won, having defeated the hosts of the tournament, the national team of Chile, in the main match, with a score of 49:36.

1954

- At the suggestion of Syracuse National owner Danny Biason, a 24-second attack limit was introduced. The pace of the game increased, and sniper talent began to be valued no less than growth.

- This year, Bevo Francis of the University of Rio Grande scored 113 points in a single NCAA game. Since that moment, this bar has not submitted to anyone.

1956

- Soviet basketball player Janis Krumins, a native of Latvia, started playing basketball only at the age of 23. Two years later he became the champion of the USSR, and a year later he won the silver of the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

1958

- Founding of the Euroleague, the most prestigious basketball tournament in Europe, which brings together teams from 18 countries of the "Old World".

1959

– On March 21, Louisville student Oscar Robertson recorded the first triple-double in NCAA history. The 20-year-old defender scored 39points, made 17 rebounds and gave 10 assists.

- In the same year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was created. It includes players, coaches and functionaries who have contributed to the development of basketball. Interestingly, not only American professional basketball players can get there, but also Europeans, as well as amateur basketball players.

1960

- Warriors rookie Wilt Chamberlain becomes the league's best player with a fantastic 37.6 points + 27.0 rebounds average per game in the regular season.

- Nov. 24, Wilt, in his second season in the NBA, sets a career-high 55 rebounds against the Celtics double Oscar Robertson averaged 30. 8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists in 1961-62.

1962

- On March 2, the great and terrible Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in the regular season game (72 from the field and 28 from free throws). This is an absolute NBA record.

- Wilt ended the season with 4,029 points on a 50.4 average. Both figures are league records.

- The tallest player in the history of the game was Suleiman Ali Nashnoush, 245 cm tall. He played for the Libyan team in 1962.

1963

- The first president (commission agent) changed in the NBA. Maurice Podoloff was replaced by Walter Kennedy.

- Tom Meshery becomes the first player with Russian citizenship to qualify for the All-Star Game.

1966

- On April 28, the Boston Celtics of Red Auerbach, who beat the Lakers 95-93 in Game 7 of the Finals, won their 8th consecutive cup (1959-1966).

1967

- Three years in a row, John Barnhille chose a new NBA team in the expansion draft - Bulls in 1966, Rockets in 1967, Sanz in 1968.

1968

9000 - February 17 Basketball The Hall of Fame opens to the public. For the first time in no one accept new members.

- Three-point shooting challenge added to the All-Star Game.

- In Europe, the largest number of spectators (80000) came to the final match of the European Cup between AEK (Athena) and Slavia (Prague) at the Athens Olympic Stadium (Greece) on April 4, 1968

1969

– Wes Anseld became the first and so far the last player to also earn a regular season MVP in his debut season. In his first season, he averaged 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game.

- The Liner brothers, the tallest basketball twins in basketball history, were born on November 27. Both were 223 cm.

1971

- Players who have not graduated from university are allowed to participate in the draft.

1972

- In the 1971-72 season, the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 games in a row.

- After 7 victories in a row at the Olympic Games, the US team loses first place to the USSR. In the final, the victory of our team was brought by Alexander Belov, who scored from under the basket in the last second. 51:50!

1973

- 13-year-old Mats Vermeulen from Sweden scored all the balls in one of the matches at the international tournament, his team won with a score of 272:0.

1974

- On October 18, Nate Thurmond recorded the first quadruple-double in league history. The Chicago center had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks against Atlanta.

1975

- Larry O'Brien became the third president (commissioner) of the NBA.

1976

- Women's basketball debuts at the Montreal Olympics. The USSR team beat the USA in the final and took the gold medal.

- Draft rules change again, now a player must be 18 years old to be eligible for the NBA. Many are no longer surprised by the fact that they go straight from school to the draft.

1982

- Highest score in an international match (251-33) recorded in the game between the national teams of Iraq and Yemen in New Delhi during the Asian Games in November 1982. Indiana University and recent NCAA champion Landon Turner. Although he would never have played basketball after his car crash injuries, Red Auerbach chose him over other contenders, acknowledging his contribution to the game during his collegiate career. It was a friendly gesture and a tribute to the hard work of the player.

1983

- December 13th was the NBA record for the most points scored by both teams combined. Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets, using 3 additional five-minutes, scored 370 points for two (186:184, victory for the Pistons)

1984

- Since 1984, a shooting contest has been introduced into the All-Star Weekend program above. Since then, the basketball holiday has lasted more than one day.

- David Stern, who took over as NBA commissioner at 1984, sits in his place today.

1985

- A draft lottery is introduced to fight the tricks of outsiders. Previously, a club that was doing poorly could deliberately lose the remaining matches in order to be last in the table, but to get the right to choose first. Since 1985, the order has been set by the computer.

- Longest distance shot and basket hit from 28.17m by Bruce Morris for Marshall University against Appalachian University 8 Feb 1985

1986

– On June 19, Len Byas, the 2nd overall pick in the 1986 draft by the Boston Celtics, dies of drugs. This is one of the biggest tragedies in basketball, as many have said, because Byas has been compared to Jordan more than once in his time.

1989

- Only 2 rounds left in the draft. That is, the number of players who get into the league has decreased, while the competition has increased.

- Sarunas Marciulionis became the first Soviet basketball player to sign a contract with the NBA team.

1992

- On January 12, Troy University scored 258 points in a single NCAA game.

- On May 11, a non-American was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame for the first time. They became the Soviet basketball player Sergei Belov.

1993

- Bruce Crevier twirled 18 basketballs at the ABC TV studio in New York (USA).

- On July 7, at the age of 28, New Jersey defenseman and one of Europe's brightest players of the time, Drazen Petrovic, died in a car accident. In 2002, he was named to the NBA Hall of Fame.

1994

- A rookie match was held for the first time in All-Star weekend history. Orlando's Penny Hardaway, who scored 22 points, became the MVP of this game, despite the fact that his team was defeated with a score of 68:74.

- The first basketball simulation was NBA Live 95, which featured 7 players from the 1994 NBA Finals between the Rockets and the Knicks on the cover.

1995

- First lockout in NBA history. It only lasted 3 months during the off-season (July 1 to September 12) so no games were cancelled.

1996

- WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) founded on April 24th

- Second NBA lockout lasted only 3 hours.

- On October 29, NBA Commissioner David Stern released a list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. It is noteworthy that the list included Shaquille O'Neal, for whom the 1996/97 season was only the fifth in his career.

- The Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson, won 72 regular season wins in 82 games.

- The 2 youngest players to play in the NBA are Jermaine O'Neal (18 years and 53 days) and Kobe Bryant (18 years and 63 days). The first debuted on December 5, the second debuted a month earlier.

1997

- The oldest player to play in an NBA game is Robert Parish. On March 19, when he stepped onto the floor, he was 43 years and 231 days old.

- Ashrita Ferman led a basketball game 155.41 km for 24 hours at the Victory Field Track (Forest Park, Queens, NY, USA) May 17-18 1997

1998

- Many sports journalists, analysts, coaches and even athletes marked the year 1998 as the end of an era, the era of Michael Jordan. Chicago won another championship, Jordan gone, Pippen gone, Phil Jackson gone, NBA ratings plummeted... It took the parties 6 months and 20 days to come to an agreement. For the first time the season was shortened - instead of 82 games, each team played only 50 meetings. The championship began on February 2.

2000

- The highest overhand throw was made on April 1, 2000 by Michael "Wild Fing" Wilson (USA) of the Harlem Globetrotters, who threw a standard size basketball into a 365 cm basket. The record was repeated in 2001 during the Lithuanian All-Star Game. Lithuanian Rytas player Robertas Javtokas, who was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs the same year, was also able to score from above into the 365 cm hoop. 0003

2001

- Joseph Gibby (USA) made the farthest overhead throw from the line. He successfully hit a basketball by jumping from a line 5.79 meters from the backboard on January 21, 2001 at Van Nuys Airport (USA).

- Elena Baranova became the first Russian basketball player to take the floor in a WNBA match.

2002

- Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was the first woman to score a top throw. On July 9, in a match against the Miami Sol, she managed to drive the ball in from above.

2003

- The NBA Draft was held on June 26 and compared to the 1984 and 1996 drafts. A lot of talented guys came to the league who quickly became leaders of their teams: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and others.

2004

- At the Athens Olympics, the US team, which was called the "dream team", unexpectedly lost to the Argentines in the semifinals. “It was a real failure,” wrote many American publications. One has only to look at the composition of the USA: Wade, James, Anthony, Boozer, Duncan, Iverson, Odom, Jefferson, Marbury, Marion, Okafor, Stoudmire.

2005

– MBA (Youth Basketball Association) is being created in Russia.

2006

- Following the failure at the Olympics, the American team performs unsuccessfully at the world championship. Wards of Mike Krzyzewski lost everything at the same stage of the semi-final to the Greek team and took only 3rd place. 90,003 90,002 – On January 22, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto on Jan. 22, second behind Chamberlain's 100. In the 21st century, this bar no longer obeyed anyone.

2007

- Bobby Jones in the 2007-08 season managed to play for 5 teams at once: Denver, San Antonio, Miami, Memphis and Houston.

- In 2007, the Hall of Fame of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was opened in the Spanish city of Alcobendas. The main purpose of the Hall of Fame is to perpetuate the history of international basketball and all those who have had a significant impact on it. There are currently four categories of people in the Hall of Fame: players, coaches, referees and officials. New members are admitted every two years.

2008

- On August 24, a Boeing 737-219 Advanced crashed. Among the passengers was the youth basketball team of Kyrgyzstan, heading to Tehran for competitions. Ten team members died, seven survived. This is the only "basketball" plane crash.

- The Atlanta Dream started the season with 17 losses, the worst start to a season in WNBA history.

2009

- In 2009, Michael Jordan was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, considered the best player the league has ever seen.

- The biggest streetball tournament was held in Spokane, Washington, USA. From June 27 to June 29, 26656 players took part there.

2010

- The first and so far the last NBA player to be assassinated was Lorenzen Wright, who died in July 2010.


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